ll tutor? I don't know his name."

I told her his name, and she immediately rode up alongside Mr Laffan.
We were ascending a hill too steep to gallop up, which enabled us to
hold this conversation. What the patriotic young lady said to the
dominie I did not at the time know, but, whatever his previous
sentiments were, her enthusiastic eloquence soon won him to the cause
she had espoused.

On reaching the level ground, we galloped forward as hard as our horses
could go, led by Uncle Richard. Our worthy tutor kept by the side of
Hugh, about whom he seemed to have no little anxiety; but my young
brother sat his horse as well as any of us, and assured Mr Laffan that
he need not be troubled about him. Dona Dolores, with her father,
followed close behind Uncle Richard, and whenever we were obliged to
pull up she spoke with her usual earnestness to one or other of the
party, as if eager to make the best use of the time in impressing her
ideas on others. She did not disdain to speak even to Paul Lobo.

"I do what massa el senor doctor does," was the reply.

She found, at last, that she could make nothing of Paul--who was,
however, as great a lover of liberty as any of us.

Crossing the bridge, we at length entered the city, where the streets
were even more quiet than usual. We scarcely met a single person as we
rode up to our house. It was perhaps as well that we did not, for the
appearance of so large a party might have roused the suspicions of some
of the Spanish authorities.

My father came in from visiting a patient at the moment we arrived.
Dona Dolores and Senor Monteverde had, I should have said, parted from
us, and gone to the house of a friend. My father seemed somewhat
surprised at seeing Uncle Richard with us, but said he was very glad
that he had come. We found supper on the table waiting us; and as soon
as the servants had withdrawn, my father addressed me, and told us the
particulars of the news he had received.

"This city will not be a safe place for women and children, or any one
else, in a short time," he observed. "Those who have duties to perform
must remain at their posts. I have numerous patients whom I ought not
to and will not desert. I therefore sent for you, Duncan, to take
charge of your mother and sister, and to escort them to your Uncle
Richard's, where you can watch over their safety. I know that I can
rely on Mr Laffan to assist you."

"Indeed, sir, you may," he replied; "whi