y riveted and almost fascinated eye, as it dwelt on
that mighty soldier, and began to whisper to one another with a sort of
very natural pride at the evident interest which we took in their
favourite hero.

Their tittering attracted my brother's attention, and following their
eyes he was not long in discovering what it was that had excited their
mirth, and he looked at me for a moment with something like a frown on
his forehead. But it cleared away in a moment, and he smiled at his own
vehemence, perhaps injustice.

At that moment, the different regiments began wheeling to and fro in
long lines, and open columns of troops, and performing an infinity of
manoeuvres, which, though I of course did not in the least degree
comprehend them, were very fine and beautiful to look at, from the
rapidity of the movements, the high spirit of the horses, and the gleam
and glitter of the arms, half seen among the dust-clouds. My brother,
however, began, as I could see, to be vehemently excited, and his
constant comments and exclamations of surprise and admiration, bore
testimony to the correctness with which every movement was executed.

Then came the roar of the artillery, as the guns retreated before the
charging horse, and even I could comprehend and appreciate the
marvellous celerity with which flash followed flash, and roar echoed
roar, from the same piece, so speedily that it was scarcely possible to
comprehend how the gun should have been loaded and re-loaded while the
horses were at full gallop.

By this time all the gentlemen had become so much interested and excited
by the scene, that, Lionel having got upon his horse which had been led
down to the ground by his servant, they asked our permission to leave us
for a short time, and ride nearer to the spot where the artillery were
manoeuvring.

As we had several servants about us in the first place, and as in the
second there is not the slightest danger of ladies being treated with
incivility by an English crowd, unless through their own fault or
indiscretion, of course no objection was made, and our cavaliers
galloped away, promising to return within a quarter of an hour.

Scarcely were they out of sight, before I observed a tall, handsome,
soldierly man, though in plain clothes, ride past the carriage on a very
fine horse, followed by a groom in a plain dark frock, with a cockade in
his hat.

It seemed to me on the instant that I had seen his face somewhere
before,