Christian spirit, and of that simple, beau too! From Blackwood's Magazine. ALICE LORRAINE. A TALE OF THE SOUTH DOWNS. CHAPTER LI. set to work, and make it its own reward tiful charity which gives for pure love of and a good, solid, marketable reward, giving. If I do not say this, it is because the Saxons would themselves be the last to comprehend the meaning of such an imputation, and the first to ridicule it when they did. That part of charity which consists in making presents is, with them, but another name for barter. Rochefoucauld has observed (and he must have had Saxony in his eye at the time) that gratitude is a keen sense of favours to come; and he might have added-still making the same IT may perhaps be said, without any tacit application-that generosity is a painful exaggeration, that throughout the shrewd calculation of probable returns. whole course of this grand war, struggle A Saxon once told me that he spent more of great captains, and heroic business money at Christmas than during all the everywhere, few things made a deeper, rest of the year; but added, with touch-sadder, and more sinister impression than ing naïveté, that he more than got it the sudden disappearance of those fifty back again. Instead of buying what they thousand guineas. On the other hand, need from time to time, as less chari- it must not be supposed that the disaptable people do, they wait until Christmas, pearance of guineas was rare. Far otherand then make all their purchases in a wise-as many people still alive can lump. "But," and here our Saxon friend | testify; and some of them perhaps with lays his forefinger slily beside his nose, gratitude for their reappearance in the no one buys directly for himself. Did he so, not only would Christmas parties become superfluous, but not improbably, he might be served less well than had he entrusted himself to his acquaintances. right quarter. But these particular fifty thousand were looked out for in so many places, and had so long been the subject of hope, as a really solid instalment of a shilling in the pound for heroes, that the Say I have twenty friends: in buying most philosophical of these latter were each of them a present I expend my two-inclined to use a short, strong word of hundred thaler, reserved for the purpose. distinctive nationality. Good. Each, now, gives me a present in return; I appraise their value, and nine times from ten I find myself ten thaler to the good. It is a science, sir!" Poor Hilary felt that for this bad verb his own name must be the receptive case; and he vainly looked about for any remedy or rescue. Stiff as he was in the This seems plausible, though, of course, limbs, by reason of the straps of Don some one among the twenty must be a Alcides, and giddy of head from the staff sufferer; but all life is a lottery. And of that most patriotic Spaniard, he found putting the question of pecuniary profit it for some time a little hard to reflect as in the background for a moment-shall calmly as he should have done. Indeed we count as nothing all that sweet in- it was as much as he could do to mount cense of flattery and compliment which his horse, who (unlike his master) had the occasion warrants us in burning be- stuck to his post very steadfastly, and neath one another's noses? I trow not, with sadness alike of soul and body to for only under the circumstances we have ride down to the fatal ford. Sergeantsupposed do such compliments acquire major Bones and Corporal Nickles also their full flavour. It is well enough for remounted and followed the bewildered my friend to call me generous, but half captain, keeping behind him at a proper my enjoyment of his recognition is de- distance for a quiet interchange of opinstroyed if I am out of pocket by my gen-ion. and erosity. What the world needs is it may thank the Saxon nation for the hint a new set of virtues, guaranteed to do all the work of ordinary virtues, and to receive all their meed of praise; but ensured against being of the slightest risk or inconvenience to their owner. To sit still, and declare that virtue is its own reward, is folly, and weak folly; we must "Corporal, now," says the sergeantmajor, sliding his voice from behind one hand, "what may be your sentiments as consarns this very pecooliar and most misfortunate haxident?" Sergeant, it would be misbehooving," replied Nickles, who was a west-country man, “as well as an onceremonious thing for me to spake first in the matter. To you it belongeth, being the one as fore- a' thought that was all young people, and told it like a book; likewise senior a handsome young chap going on as they hofficer." will, only for what one of they dirty devils as drives them mules have said to me." Corporal, you are a credit to the army. Your discretion, at your age, is wonderful. There be so few young men as remember when a man has spoken right. I am the last man in the world to desire to be overpraised, or to take to myself any sense of it. And now I wants no credit of it. To me it seems to come natteral to discern things in a sort of way that I find in nobody else a'most." "You doos, you doos," answered Corporal Nickles. "Many's the time as I've said to myself 'Whur can I goo, to find sergeant-major, in this here trick of the henemy?' And now, sergeant, what do 'ee think of this? No fear to tell truth in spaking 'long of me." "Corporal, I have been thinking strongly, ever since us untied him. And I have been brought up in the world so much, that I means to think again of it." Why, sergeant, you never means to say "Nickles, I means just what I means. I may be right, and yet again I may be altogether wrong; as is the way of every | man. "Let me alone' is all I say. But if I was sure as you could hold your tongue, I might have something to say to you. Not of any account, you know; but still, something." "Now, sergeant, after all the thumps us has seen and been through together, you never would behave onhandsome to me." "Corporal Nickles, if you put it upon that footing, I cannot deny you. And mind you, now, my opinion is that this is a very queer case indeed." "Now, now, to think of that! Why, sergeant, you ought to be a general ! " "Nickles, no flattery; I am above it. Not but what I might have done so well as other people, if the will of the Lord had been so. Consarning, however, of this to-do, and a precious rumpus it will be, my opinion is that we don't know half." Speaking thus, the sergeant nodded to the corporal impressively, and jerked his thumb towards the captain in front, and winked, and then began again. "You see, corporal, my place is to keep both eyes wide open. There was a many things as struck me up at the old Don's yonder. A carrying-on in corners, and a going to lamps to read things, and a winking out of young ladies' eyes, to my mind most unmilintary. But I might No, now, sergeant; never, now!" “As true as I sit this here hoss, when us come back with the sun getting up, what did that pagan say to me ? You seed him, corporal, a-running up, and you might have saved me the trouble, only you was nodding forward. Senhor captain,' he said to me, and the whites of his eyes was full of truth, the young cavalier has been too soft.' That was how I made out his country gibberish; the stuff they poor beggars are born to." "It gooeth again the grain of my skin," Corporal Nickles answered, "to hearken them fellows chattering. But, sergeant, what did he say next?" "Well, they may chatter, or hold their tongues, to them as cannot understand them. Requireth a gift, which is a denial to most folk to understand them. And what he said, Corporal Nickles, was this that he was coming up the river, while the carts was waiting, and afore the robe, bery, mind you; and he seed a young woman come on to the bridge — you knows how they goes, corporal, when they expects you to look after them." 66 Sergeant, I should think so." "Well, she come on the bridge for all the world like that. Us have seen it fifty times. And she had a white handkercher on her head, or an Ishmaelitish mantle; and she were looking out for some young chap. And our young cap'en come after her. And who do you think she were? Why, one of the daughters of the old Don up yonner!" "Good heart alaive, now, Sergeant Bones, I can't a'most belave it!" is found out at last; the same as my | from the coffers, for the sake of easier poor wife was. But here us are. We transport, was very distinct in the parts have relaxed the bonds of discipline with conversation. Corporal, eyes right, and wait orders.!" untrampled by horses, mules, or brigands. But of all the marks there was none more conspicuous than the impressions of some man's boots, larger and heavier than the rest, and appearing, over and over again, here, there, and everywhere. For a few yards up the rugged mountain, these and other footprints might be traced without much trouble, till suddenly they dispersed, grew fainter, and then wholly disappeared in trackless, hopeless, and (to a stranger) impenetrable forest. While these two trusty and veteran fellows had been discussing a subject far too deep for a whole brigade of them, and still were full of tender recollections (dashed with good escape), poor Hilary had been vainly spurring here and there, and all about, himself not come to his clear mind yet, only hoping to know where the money was gone. Hope, however, upon that point was disappointed, "Thou honest guinea that would not as usual. The track of the heavy carts be stolen !" cried poor Lorraine, as he was clear in the gravel of the river, and returned and picked up the one remainup the rocky bank, and on the old Roman ing coin; "haply I shall never own anroad towards Merida. And then, at the other honest guinea. Forty-nine thoudistance of about a furlong from the sand nine hundred and ninety-nine preZujar, the rut of the wooden wheels fer the ownership of rogues. Last of turned sharply into an elbow of a moun- guineas, we will not part till gold outlives tain-road. Here, on the hump of a diffi-humanity!" cult rise, were marks, as if many kicks, "Now, sir, is there anything us can and pricks, and even stabs, had been do?" cried Bones and Nickles, or one of ministered to good mules labouring them. "We has followed all the way up heavily. There was blood on the road, this here long hill, for want of better orand the blue shine of friction, where hardders." up." rock encountered hard iron, and the "No, my good fellows, there is nothing scraping of holes in gravelly spots, and to be done. We cannot follow any furthe nicks of big stones laid behind ther. I must go with all speed to report wheels to ease the tugging and afford myself. Follow me, if you can keep the short relief of panting. These traces were plain, and becoming plainer as the road grew worse, for nearly a mile of the mountain-side, and then the track turned suddenly into a thicket of dark ilex, where, out of British sight and ken, the spoil had been divided. The treasure-carts had been upset, and two of the sturdy mules, at last foundered with hard labour, lay in their blood, contented that their work was over, and that man (a greater brute than themselves) had taken all he wanted out of them. The rest had been driven or ridden on, being useful for further torment. And here on the ground were five stout coffers of good British iron; but, alas! the good British gold was flown. At this sight, Hilary stared a little; and the five chests in the morning sun glanced back at him with such a ludicrously sad expression of emptiness, that, in spite of all his trouble, the poor young captain broke into a hearty laugh. Then his horse walked up, and sniffed at them, being reminded, perhaps, of his manger; and Hilary, dismounting, found a solitary guinea lying in the dust, the last of fifty thousand. The trail of coarse esparto bags, into which the gold had been poured The sergeant nodded to the corporal for, loyal and steadfast as they were, suspicion was at work with them; that ugly worm which, once set going, wriggles into the stoutest heart. Surely it was a queer thing of the captain not even to let them examine the spot; but order was order, and without a word they followed the young officer back to the highroad, and then, for some hours in the heat of the day, on the way towards Estremadura. At noontide they came to a bright, broad stream, known to them as Guadalmez, a confluent of the Guadiana; and here they were challenged, to their great surprise, by a strong detachment of British hussars. the "This is the Zujar ford," the cavalry courage of that thought he stood before major answered, sternly; and Hilary's Lord Wellington. heart fell from its last hope of recovering anything. 66 "We have been here these three days waiting for you," continued the major, with vehemence; we have lost all our chance of a glorious brush; we sent you advice that we were waiting for you. And now you appear without your convoy! Captain Lorraine, what does all this mean?” CHAPTER LII. THE hero of a hundred fights (otherwise called "Old Beaky") had just scraped through a choking trouble on the score of money with the grasping Portuguese regency; and now, in the year 1813, he was busier than even he had ever found himself before. He had to combine, in most delicate manner and with exquisite nicety Major, my explanation is due at head-of time, the movements of columns whose quarters, rather than to you." number scarcely even to himself was clear; for the force of rivers unusually strong, and the doubt of bridges successively broken, and the hardship of the Tras os Montes, and the scattering of soldiers, who for want of money had to "subsist themselves"-which means to hunt far afield after cows, sheep, and hens "And a deuced hard job you'll have to give it, or my name's not M'Rustie," the senior officer muttered, with more terseness and truth than courtesy. "I'm blessed if I'd stand in your shoes before Old Beaky for a trifle." Poor Hilary tried in vain to look as if he took it lightly. Even his bright and buoyant nature could not lift head against the sea of troubles all in front of him. "I have done no harm," he kept saying to himself, when, after the few words that duty demanded, he urged his stout horse forward; and the faithful sergeant and corporal, who had shunned all inquisitive hussars, spurred vigorously after him, feeling themselves (as a Briton loves to feel himself) pregnant with mighty evidence. "What harm have I done?" asked Hilary. "I saw to everything; I worked hard. I never quitted my post, except through duty towards a lady. Any gentleman must have done what I did. To be an officer is an adornment; to be a gentleman is a necessity." also the shifty and unpronounced tactics of the enemy, and a great many other disturbing elements, enough to make calculation sea-sick, a senior wrangler, or even Herr Steinitz, the Wellington of the chess-board, each in his province, might go astray, and trust at last to luck itself to cut the tangled knot for him. It was a very grand movement, and triumphantly successful; opening up as fine a march as can be found in history, sweeping onward in victory, and closing with conquest of the Frenchmen in their own France, and nothing left to stop the advance on Paris. "Was all this luck, or was it skill?" the historian asks in wonder; and the answer, perhaps, may be found in the proverb. "Luck has a mother's love for skill." "Have you felt altogether," said conscience to him, "the necessity of that ne- Be that as it may, it is quite certain cessity? Have you found it impossible to that Hilary, though he had shown no depart from a gentleman's first duty-skill, had some little luck in the present good faith to those who trust in him? case. For the commander-in-chief was a When you found yourself bewitched with great deal too busy, and had all his a foreign lady, did you even let your first love know it? For months you have been playing fast and loose, not caring what misery you caused. And now you are fast in the trap of your looseness. Whatever happens serves you right." "Whatever happens serves me right!" cried Hilary Lorraine, aloud, as he lifted his sword just a little way forth, for the last time to admire it, and into the sheath dropped a quick, hot tear. "I have done my duty as an officer badly; and far worse as a gentleman. But, Mabel, if you could see me now, I think that you would grieve for me.” officers too hard at work, to order, without fatal loss of time, a general courtmartial now. Moreover, he had his own reasons for keeping the matter as quiet as possible, for at least another fortnight. Every soldier by that time would be in march, and unable to turn his back on Brown Bess; whereas now there were some who might lawfully cast away the knapsack, if they knew that their bounty was again no better than a cloudy hope. And, again, there were some ugly pothooks of English questions to be dealt with. All these things passed through the He felt his heart grow warm again with rapid mind of the general, as he reined the thought of his own Mabel; and in the 'his horse, and listened calmly to poor Lorraine's over-true report. And then them. Will you take my advice, if I offer the choice?" he fixed his keen grey eyes upon Hilary, "That is a question," replied Lorraine, while marvelling at his own audacity, "which I am pledged by my honour, as a gentleman, not to answer." "By your duty as an officer, in a place of special trust, you are bound to answer it." I "General, I cannot. My lord, as rather must call you now, I wish could answer; but I cannot." I "I am only too glad to have any choice; and anything chosen for me by you." "Then this is just how you stand, Lorraine - if we allow the alternative. You may demand a court-martial, or you may resign your commission. On the other hand, as you know, a court-martial may at once be called upon you. What answer are you prepared to make, when asked why you left your convoy?". "I should be more stubborn to them than even your lordship has let me be to you." "Then, Captain Lorraine, resign your commission. With my approval, it can be done." "Resign my commission!" Lorraine exclaimed, reeling as if he had received a shot, and catching at the mane of the general's horse, without knowing what be was doing. "Oh no, I never could do that." "Very well. I have given you my advice. You prefer your own decision; and I have other things to attend to. Captain Money will receive your sword. You are under arrest till we can form a court." "My lord, it would break my father's heart, if he were to hear of such a thing. I suppose I had better resign my commission, if I may." "Then go and seek advice, Lorraine," the general answered kindly, for his "Put that in writing, and send it to heart was kind; and he had taken a lik-me. I will forward it to the Horse-Guards ing for this young fellow, and knew a with a memorandum from myself. I am little of his family. sorry to lose you, Captain Lorraine; you "I have no one to go to for advice, my might have done well, if you had only lord. What is your advice to me?" proved as vigilant as you are active and With these words, Hilary looked so gallant. But one word more wretched and yet so proud from his well-made you stop short at the ford of a little bred face, and beautifully-shaped blue mountain-stream? I chose you as knoweyes, that his general stopped from his ing the country well. You must have hurry to pity him. And then he looked known that the Zujar ford was twenty gently at the poor young fellow. miles further on your road." what "This is the most irregular state of "I know all that country too well, my things I ever have had to deal with. You lord. We halted at the real Zujar ford. have lost a month's pay of our army, and General Hill's detachment stopped at enough to last them half a year; and you the ford of the Guadalmez. It is wrongly seem to think that you have done great called the Zujar there. The Zujar has things, and refuse all explanation. Is taken a great sweep to the east and fallen there any chance of recovering the mon- into the Guadalmez and Guadalemar. ey?" Major M'Rustie must have been misled; and no doubt it was done on purpose. have my information on the very best authority." "There might be, my lord, if we were not pushing so rapidly on for the Pyrenees." "There might be, if we threw away our campaign! You have two courses before you; at least, if I choose to offer May I ask, upon what authority? Are you pledged in honour to conceal even that ?" |