ceased lamenting it, more especially when intelligence reached them of his having been dreadfully wounded in an engagement. in one of the West India islands; intelligence which was speedily followed by his return to his native kingdom, owing to the advice of his physicians, who, without such a measure, protested his recovery was every thing but impossible.

His mother made use of the opportunity his return afforded, to endeavour to prevail on him to quit the army, but, though naturally of a yielding disposition, without avail, since he was now not only more attached than ever to his profession, but conceived his leaving at this crisis would be to compromise his honour, as he doubted not his doing so would be imputed to the danger he had been in. Finding him inexorable, she prevailed on his father to purchase him a troop in a regiment of dragoons, in consequence of being informed by some military friends the cavalry was not so liable to be ordered abroad as the infantry. Of what she had done he

received no intimation, until his promotion appeared in the Gazette. The young captain would infinitely have preferred continuing in his old regiment, as in it he fancied he should have had a quicker opportunity of reaping the laurels he was so ambitious of obtaining-that he would have done so, however, neither his filial duty or grateful nature, would permit his acknowledging to his idolizing mother.

The monotonous life to which he found himself doomed on joining his new regiment, quartered in a country town in England, by no means accorded with his active spirit. He derived, however, one advantage from it-that of being able to renew the studies which the pressure of his professional duties while abroad had obliged him to suspend; but he was not allowed to pursue them without interruption-there were in this corps, as there are in many others, several idle dissipated characters, disinclined to do good themselves, and equally so to let others. set Munro, and, by degrees,

These be

drew him

into the pernicious practice of gaming, in which he was too great a novice not to let them reap all the advantages they wished for. In consequence his drafts

upon his father became so frequent, and so considerable, that a serious investigation into the cause of them at length took place.

Munro shrunk not from it; he candidly answered the enquiries addressed to him, / was admonished by his mother of the enormity of the vice he had been led into, solemnly abjured it, and was forgiven, at least by her. The mind, however, which has been for any period dissipated, cannot immediately revert to rational pursuitslike the sea after a storm, it requires some time to subside into calmness: Munro more eagerly, therefore, than ever, though always from a lively and social temper so inclined, entered into company. Amongst the families in the neighbourhood in which he was quartered, who paid particular attention to him and his brother officers, was that of a respectable merchant, who, after making a handsome fortune in Cadiz, had

returned to spend the fruits of his industry in his native country. As he was quitting Spain there was committed to his care a young Spanish lady, for the purpose of having her educated in England. Her education was completed just as Munro became acquainted with her, and she only delayed returning to her native country till she had acquired that perfect knowledge of the manners and customs of the people she had been brought up amongst, which, while at school, it was impossible for her to do. Nothing could be more attractive, more engaging than she was; but in place of giving a description of her, we will give the animated one the Chevalier de Bourgoanne has given of her countrywomen in general, as one she perfectly accorded with. Nothing," says he, " is more engaging than a young female Spaniard at fifteen years of age-a face perfectly oval; hair of a fine clear auburn, equally divided on the forehead, and only bound by a silk net; large black eyes; a mouth full of graces; an attitude always modest; a simple habit

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of neat black serge, exactly fitting the body, and gently pressing the wrist; a little hand, perfectly proportioned; in fine, every thing charms in these youthful virgins they recal to our recollection the softnesss, beauty, dress, and simplicity of the young Grecian females, of whom antiquity has left such elegant models-the angels in Spanish comedy are always represented by young girls."

The heart of our young soldier was susceptible in the extreme of the power of beauty, particularly when combined, as was the case in the present instance, with elegance, modesty, and intelligence; in short, he soon became the captive of the fair foreigner, nor did she seem insensible to his merits; but, enamoured as he was, he did not seek to inspire her with a reciprocal passion. There were obstacles he feared in the way of their union, which would prove insurmountable; honour, therefore, forbade his endeavouring to create too lively an interest for himself in her heart-these obstacles were the nation