an hour of sunset on the last day of September 1833,
when two young men, whose respective ages did not much exceed twenty
years, emerged from a country lane upon the high-road from Tarazona to
Tudela, in that small district of Navarre which lies south of the
river Ebro.

The equipments of the travellers--for such the dusty state of their
apparel, and the knapsacks upon their shoulders, indicated them to
be--were exactly similar, and well calculated for a pedestrian journey
across the steep sierras and neglected roads of Spain. They consisted,
with little variation, of the national Spanish dress--short jackets of
dark cloth, somewhat braided and embroidered, knee-breeches of the
same material, and broad-brimmed hats, surrounded by velvet bands.
Only, instead of the tight-fitting stockings and neat pumps, which
should have completed the costume, long leathern gamashes extended
from knee to ankle, and were met below the latter by stout
high-quartered shoes. Each of the young men carried a stick in his
hand, rather, as it appeared, from habit, or for purposes of defence,
than as a support, and each of them had a cloak of coarse black serge
folded and strapped upon his otter-skin knapsack. With their costume,
however, the similarity in their appearance ceased; nothing could be
more widely different than their style of person and countenance. The
taller of the two, who was also apparently the elder, was of a
slender, active figure, with well-moulded limbs, and a handsome,
intelligent countenance, in which energy and decision of character
were strongly marked. His complexion was dark olive; his eyes and
short curling hair were of a coal black; what little beard he had was
closely shaven, excepting upon the upper lip, which was fringed by a
well-defined mustache, as gracefully curved and delicately penciled as
any that Vandyke ever painted. At this time, however, there was a
shade over his countenance other than that cast by the broad leaf of
his sombrero; it was the look of mingled hope, anxiety, and suspense,
sometimes worn by persons who are drawing near to a goal, their
attainment of which is still doubtful, and at which, even when
attained, it is not quite certain whether pleasure or pain awaits
them.

No such thoughts or anxieties were to be read upon the joyous,
careless countenance of the second traveller--a stout, square-built
young man, whose ruddy complexion and light-brown hair contrasted as
strongly with the dar