disagreeable. Kate's advantages for her stood upon a scaffold, under sentence of role in this life lay in four things, viz. in a death (but, understand, on the evidence well-built person, and a particularly strong of false witnesses). Jack Ketch was absowrist; 2d, in a heart that nothing could lutely tying the knot under her ear, and appal; 3d, in a sagacious head, never the shameful man of ropes fumbled so dedrawn aside from the hoc age [from the in-plorably, that Kate (who by much nautical stant question of life] by any weakness of experience had learned from another sort imagination; 4th, in a tolerably thick skin, of "Jack" how a knot should be tied in not literally, for she was fair and blooming, this world), lost all patience with the conand decidedly handsome, having such a skin temptible artist, told him she was ashamed as became a young woman of family in nor- of him, took the rope out of his hand, and thernmost Spain. But her sensibilities tied the knot irreproachably herself. The were obtuse as regarded some modes of de-crowd saluted her with a festal roll, long licacy, some modes of equity, some modes of and loud, of rivas; and this word viva of the world's opinion, and all modes what- good augury-but stop: let me not anticiever of personal hardship. Lay a stress on pate.

that word some-for, as to delicacy, she From this sketch of Catalina's character, never lost sight of the kind which peculiarly the reader is prepared to understand the concerns her sex. Long afterwards she decision of her present proceeding. She told the Pope himself, when confessing had no time to lose: the twilight favored without disguise her sad and infinite wan- her; but she must get under hiding before derings to the paternal old man (and I feel pursuit commenced. Consequently she lost convinced of her veracity) that in this res- not one of her 45 minutes in picking and pect, even then, at middle age, she was as choosing. No shilly-shally in Kate. She pure as is a child. And, as to equity, it saw with the eyeball of an eagle what was was only that she substituted the equity of indispensable. Some little money perhaps camps for the polished (but often more ini- to pay the first toll-bar of life: so, out of quitous) equity of courts and towns. As four shillings in Aunty's purse, she took to the third item-the world's opinion-I one. You can't say that was exorbitant. don't know that you need lay a stress on Which of us wouldn't subscribe a shilling some; for, generally speaking, all that the for poor Katy to put into the first trouser world did, said, or thought, was alike con- pockets that ever she will wear? I rememtemptible in her eyes, in which, perhaps, ber even yet, as a personal experience, that she was not so very far wrong. I must add, when first arrayed, at four years old, in nanthough at the cost of interrupting the story keen trousers, though still so far retaining by two or three more sentences, that Cata- hermaphrodite relations of dress as to lina had also a fifth advantage, which wear a petticoat above my trousers, all my sounds humbly, but is really of use in a female friends (because they pitied me, as world, where even to fold and seal a letter one that had suffered from years of ague) adroitly is not the least of accomplishments. filled my pockets with half-crowns, of She was a handy girl. She could turn her which I can render no account at this day. hand to anything, of which I will give you But what were my poor pretensions by the two memorable instances. Was there ever side of Kate's? Kate was a fine blooming a girl in this world but herself that cheated girl of 15, with no touch of ague, and, beand snapped her hands at that awful Inqui- fore the next sun rises, Kate shall draw on sition, which brooded over the convents of her first trousers, and made by her own Spain, that did this without collusion from hand; and, that she may do so, of all the outside, trusting to nobody, but to herself, valuables in Aunty's repository she takes and what? to one needle, two hanks of nothing beside the shilling, quantum sufficit thread, and a very inferior pair of scissors of thread, one stout needle, and (as I told For, that the scissors were bad, though you before, if you would please to rememKate does not say so in her memoirs, 1 ber things) one bad pair of scissors. Now know by an à priori argument, viz. because she was ready; ready to cast off St. Sebasall scissors were bad in the year 1607. tian's towing rope; ready to cut and run Now, say all decent logicians, from a uni- for port anywhere.' The finishing touch versal to a particular valet consequentia, all of her preparations was to pick out the proscissors were bad ergo, some scissors were per keys: even there she showed the same The second instance of her handiness discretion. She did no gratuitous miswill surprise you even more: She once chief. She did not take the wine-cellar

bad.

key, which would have irritated the good at once, and clasped the hopeful young father confessor; she took those keys only gentleman in the Wellington trousers to that belonged to her, if ever keys did; for they were the keys that locked her out from her natural birthright of liberty. (6 Show me," says the Romish Casuist, "her right in law to let herself out of that nunnery. "Show us," we reply, "your right to lock her in.”

his uncular and rather angular breast. In this house the yarn of life was of a mingled quality. The table was good, but that was exactly what Kate cared little about. The amusement was of the worst kind. It consisted chiefly in conjugating Latin verbs, especially such as were obstinately Right or wrong, however, in strict casuis- irregular. To show him a withered frosttry, Kate was resolved to let herself out; bitten verb, that wanted its preterite, wantand did so; and, for fear any man should ed its supines, wanted, in fact, everything creep in whilst vespers lasted, and steal the in this world, fruits or blossoms, that make kitchen grate, she locked her old friends in. a verb desirable, was to earn the Don's Then she sought a shelter. The air was gratitude for life. All day long he was not cold. She hurried into a chestnut marching and counter-marching his favorwood, and upon withered leaves slept till ite brigades of verbs-verbs frequentative, dawn. Spanish diet and youth leave the verbs inceptive, verbs desiderative-horse, digestion undisordered, and the slumbers foot, and artillery; changing front, adlight. When the lark rose, up rose Cata-vancing from the rear, throwing out skirlina. No time to lose, for she was still in mishing parties, until Kate, not given to the dress of a nun, and liable to be arrested faint, must have thought of such a reby any man in Spain. With her armed source, as once in her life she had thought finger [aye, by the way, I forgot the thim- so seasonably of a vesper head-ache. This ble; but Kate did not],-she set to work was really worse than St. Sebastian's. It upon her amply embroidered petticoat. She turned it wrong side out; and with the magic that only female hands possess, she had soon sketched and finished a dashing pair of Wellington trousers. All other changes were made according to the materials she possessed, and quite sufficiently to disguise the two main perils-her sex, and her monastic dedication. What was she to do next? Speaking of Wellington trousers would remind us, but could hardly remind her, of Vittoria, where she dimly had heard of some maternal relative. To Vittoria, therefore, she bent her course; and, like the Duke of Wellington, but arriving more than two centuries earlier [though he too is an early riser], she gained a great victory at that place. She had made a two days' march, baggage far in the rear, and no provisions but wild berries; she depended for anything better, as lightheartedly as the Duke, upon attacking, sword in hand, storming her dear friend's From Vittoria Kate was guided by a carentrenchments, and effecting a lodgment in rier to Valladolid. Luckily, as it seemed his breakfast-room, should he happen to at first, but it made little difference in the have one. This amiable relative, an elder- end, here, at Valladolid, were the King ly man, had but one foible, or perhaps one and his Court. Consequently, there were virtue in this world; but that he had in plenty of regiments and plenty of regimenperfection,-it was pedantry. On that hint tal bands. Attracted by one of these, Catalina spoke: she knew by heart, from Catalina was quietly listening to the muthe services of the convent, a few Latin sic, when some street ruffians, in derision of phrases. Latin !-Oh, but that was charm- the gay colors and the form of her foresting; and in one so young! The grave made costume-[rascals! one would like to Don owned the soft impeachment; relented | have seen what sort of trousers they would

reminds one of a French gaiety in Thiebault or some such author, who describes a rustic party, under equal despair, as employing themselves in conjugating the verb s'ennuyer-Je m'ennuie, tu t'ennuies, il s'ennuit; nous nous ennuyons, &c.; thence to the imperfect-Je m'ennuyois, tu t'ennuyois, &c.; thence to the imperative— Qu'il s'ennuye, &c.; and so on through the whole melancholy conjugation. Now, you know, when the time comes that, nous nous ennuyons, the best course is, to part. Kate saw that; and she walked off from the Don's [of whose amorous passion for defective verbs one would have wished to know the catastrophe], and took from his mantelpiece rather more silver than she had levied on her aunt. But the Don also was a relative; and really he owed her a small cheque on his banker for turning out on his field-days. A man, if he is a kinsman, has no right to bore one gratis.

have made with no better scissors!]-began her own face, to announce him to Don to pelt her with stones. Ah, my friends, Francisco, to wish him on the shores of of the genus blackguard, you little know that ancient river for crocodiles, the Nile, who it is that you are selecting for experi- furnished but one moment's work to the acments. This is the one creature of fifteen in tive Catalina. She lingered, however, as all Spain, be the other male or female, whom her place entitled her to do, at the door of nature, and temper, and provocation, have the audience chamber. She guessed, alqualified for taking the conceit out of you. ready, but in a moment she heard from This she very soon did, laying open a head papa's lips what was the nature of his eror two with a sharp stone, and letting out rand. His daughter Catherine, he informrather too little than too much of bad Val-ed the Don, had eloped from the convent ladolid blood. But mark the constant vil- of St. Sebastian, a place rich in delight. lany of this world. Certain Alguazils-Then he laid open the unparalleled ingravery like some other Alguazils that I know titude of such a step. Oh, the unseen nearer home-having stood by quietly to treasure that had been spent upon that see the friendless stranger insulted and as-girl! Oh, the untold sums of money that saulted, now felt it their duty to apprehend he had sunk in that unhappy speculation! the poor nun for murderous violence: and The nights of sleeplessness suffered during had there been such a thing as a treadmill her infancy! The fifteen years of soliciin Valladolid, Kate was booked for a place tude thrown away in schemes for her imon it without further inquiry. Luckily, in- provement! It would have moved the justice does not always prosper. A gal- heart of a stone. The hidalgo wept copilant young cavalier, who had witnessed ously at his own pathos. And to such a from his windows the whole affair, had height of grandeur had he carried his Spaseen the provocation, and admired Catali- nish sense of the sublime, that he disdainna's behavior-equally patient at first and ed to mention the pocket-handkerchief bold at last-hastened into the street, pur- which he had left at St. Sebastian's fifteen sued the officers, forced them to release years ago, by way of envelope for "pussy," their prisoner, upon stating the circumstan- and which, to the best of pussy's knowledge, ces of the case, and instantly offered Cata- was the one sole memorandum of ever lina a situation amongst his retinue. He heard of at St. Sebastian's. Pussy, howwas a man of birth and fortune; and the ever, saw no use in revising and correcting place offered, that of an honorary page, not the text of papa's remembrances. She being at all degrading even to a "daughter showed her usual prudence, and her usual of somebody," was cheerfully accepted. incomparable decision. It did not appear, Here Catalina spent a happy month. She as yet, that she would be reclaimed, or was now splendidly dressed in dark blue was at all suspected for the fugitive by her velvet, by a tailor that did not work within father. For it is an instance of that singuthe gloom of a chestnut forest. She and lar fatality which pursued Catalina through the young cavalier, Don Francisco de Car-life, that, to her own astonishment (as she denas, were mutually pleased, and had mu- now collected from her father's conference), tual confidence. All went well-when one nobody had traced her to Valladolid, nor evening, but, luckily, not until the sun had her father's visit any connexion with had been set so long as to make all things suspicions travelling in that direction. indistinct, who should march into the ante- The case was quite different. Strangely chamber of the cavalier but that sublime enough, her street row had thrown her into of crocodiles, Papa, that we lost sight the one sole household in all Spain that had of fifteen years ago, and shall never see an official connexion with St. Sebastian's. again after this night. He had his croco- That convent had been founded by the dile tears all ready for use, in working order, young cavalier's family; and, according to like a good industrious fire-engine. It was the usage of Spain, the young man (as preabsolutely to Catalina herself that he ad- sent representative of his house) was the vanced; whom, for many reasons, he could responsible protector of the establishment. not be supposed to recognise-lapse of It was not to the Don, as harborer of years, male attire, twilight, were all against his daughter, but to the Don, as ex officio him. Still, she might have the family visitor of the convent, that the hidalgo was countenance; and Kate thought he looked appealing. Probably Kate might have with a suspicious scrutiny into her face, as stayed safely some time longer. Yet, again, he inquired for the young Don. To avert this would but have multiplied the clues

papa

for tracing her; and, finally, she would through the streets in the dark; and eyes too probably have been discovered; after there were that would have softened into which, with all his youthful generosity, the tears, had they seen the desolate condition poor Don could not have protected her. of the child, or in vision had seen the strugToo terrific was the vengeance that awaited gles that were before her. But what's the an abettor of any fugitive nun; but above use of wasting tears upon our Kate? Wait all, if such a crime were perpetrated by an till to-morrow morning at sun-rise, and see official mandatory of the church. Yet, if she is particularly in need of pity. What again, so far it was the more hazardous now should a young lady do-İ propose it course to abscond, that it almost revealed as a subject for a prize essay-that finds her to the young Don as the missing herself in Valladolid at nightfall, having daughter. Still, if it really had that ef- no letters of introduction, not aware of any fect, nothing at present obliged him to reason great or small for preferring any pursue her, as might have been the case a street in general, except so far as she knows few weeks later. Kate argued (I daresay) of some reason for avoiding one or two rightly, as she always did. Her prudence streets in particular? The great problem whispered eternally, that safety there was I have stated, Kate investigated as she none for her, until she had laid the Atlantic went along; and she solved it with the between herself and St. Sebastian's. Life was accuracy with which she ever applied to to be for her a Bay of Biscay; and it was odds practical exigencies. Her conclusion was but she had first embarked upon this billowy-that the best door to knock at in such a life from the literal Bay of Biscay. Chance case was the door where there was no need ordered otherwise. Or, as a Frenchman says to knock at all, as being unfastened, and with eloquent ingenuity in connexion with open to all comers. For she argued that this story, "Chance is but the pseudonyme within such a door there would be nothing of God for those particular cases which he to steal, so that, at least, you could not be does not subscribe openly with his own mistaken in the dark for a thief. Then, sign manual." She crept up stairs to her as to stealing from her, they might do that bed-room. Simple are the travelling pre- if they could.

parations of those that, possessing nothing, Upon these principles, which hostile crihave no imperials to pack. She had Juve- tics will endeavor to undermine, she laid nal's qualification for carolling gaily through her hand upon what seemed a rude stable a forest full of robbers; for she had no- door. Such it proved. There was an thing to lose but a change of linen, that empty cart inside; certainly there was, rode easily enough under her left arm, but you couldn't take that away in your leaving the right free for answering any pocket; and there were five loads of straw, questions of impertinent customers. As but then of those a lady could take no more she crept down stairs, she heard the Croco- than her reticule would carry, which perdile still weeping forth his sorrows to the haps was allowed by the courtesy of Spain. pensive car of twilight, and to the sympa- So Kate was right as to the difficulty of thetic Don Francisco. Now, it would not have been filial or lady-like for Kate to do what I am going to suggest; but what a pity that some gay brother page had not been there to turn aside into the room, armed with a roasted potatoc, and, taking a sportsman's aim, to have lodged it in the Crocodile's abominable mouth. Yet, what an anachronism! There were no roasted potatoes in Spain at that date, and very few in England. But anger drives a man to say anything.

Catalina had seen her last of friends and enemies in Valladolid. Short was her time there; but she had improved it so far as to make a few of both. There was an eye or two in Valladolid that would have glared with malice upon her, had she been seen by all eyes in that city, as she tripped

being challenged for a thief. Closing the door as gently as she had opened it, she dropped her person, dressed as she was, upon the nearest heap of straw. Some ten feet further were lying two muleteers, honest and happy enough, as compared with the lords of the bed-chamber, then in Valladolid: but still gross men, carnally deaf from eating garlic and onions, and other horrible substances. Accordingly, they never heard her, nor were aware, until dawn, that such a blooming person existed. But she was aware of them, and of their conversation. They were talking of an expedition for America, on the point of sailing under Don Ferdinand de Cordova. It was to sail from some Andalusian port. That was the very thing for her. At daylight she woke, and jumped up, needing no more toilet than the

birds that already were singing in the gar- not be denied by the greatest of philosophers, dens, or than the two muleteers, who, good that the muleteer's stable at Valladolid was honest fellows, saluted the handsome boy worth twenty such ships, though the stable kindly--thinking no ill at his making free was not insured against fire, and the ship with their straw, though no leave had been was insured against the sea and the wind asked. by some fellow that thought very little of With these philo-garlic men Kate took his engagements. But what's the use of her departure. The morning was divine; sitting down to cry? That was never any and leaving Valladolid with the transports trick of Catalina's. By day-break, she was that befitted such a golden dawn, feeling at work with an axe in her hand. I knew also already, in the very obscurity of her it, before ever I came to this place, in her exit, the pledge of her escape; she cared memoirs. I felt, as sure as if I had read it, no longer for the crocodile, or for St. Se- that, when day broke, we should find Kate bastian, or (in the way of fear) for the pro- hard at work. Thimble or axe, trowsers or tector of St. Sebastian, though of him she raft, all one to her. The Captain, though thought with some tenderness; so deep is true to his duty, seems to have desponded. the remembrance of kindness mixed with He gave no help towards the raft. Signs justice. Andalusia she reached rather were speaking, however, pretty loudly that slow; but many months before she was he must do something; for notice to quit sixteen years old, and quite in time for the was now served pretty liberally. Kate's expedition. St. Lucar being the port of raft was ready; and she encouraged the rendezvous for the Peruvian expedition, captain to think that it would give both of thither she went. All comers were welcome them something to hold by in swimming, if on board the fleet; much more a fine young not even carry double. At this moment, fellow like Kate. She was at once engaged when all was waiting for a start, and the as a mate; and her ship, in particular, after ship itself was waiting for a final lurch, to doubling Cape Horn without loss, made the say Good-bye to the King of Spain, Kate coast of Peru. Paita was the port of her went and did a thing which some misjudgdestination. Very near to this port they ing people will object to. She knew of a were, when a storm threw them upon a box laden with gold coins, reputed to be coral reef. There was little hope of the the King of Spain's, and meant for continship from the first, for she was unmanagea-gencies in the voyage out. This she smashble, and was not expected to hold together ed open with her axe, and took a sum equal for twenty-four hours. In this condition, to 100 guineas English; which, having well with death before their faces, mark what secured in a pillow-case, she then lashed Kate did; and please to remember it for firmly to the raft. Now this, you know, her benefit, when she does any other little though not "flotsom," because it would not thing that angers you. The crew lowered float, was certainly, by maritime law, " jetthe long-boat. Vainly the captain protested som." It would be the idlest of scruples against this disloyal desertion of a king's to fancy that the sea or a shark had a betship, which might yet perhaps be run on ter right to it than a philosopher, or a shore, so as to save the stores. All the splendid girl who showed herself capable of crew, to a man, deserted the captain. You writing a very fair 8vo., to say nothing of may say that literally; for the single ex- her decapitating in battle several of the ception was not a man, being our bold- king's enemies, and recovering the king's hearted Kate. She was the only sailor that banner. No sane moralist would hesitate to refused to leave her captain, or the king of do the same thing under the same circumSpain's ship. The rest pulled away for the stances, on board an English vessel, though shore, and with fair hopes of reaching it. the First Lord of the Admiralty should be But one half hour told another tale: just looking on. The raft was now thrown into

about that time came a broad sheet of the sea. Kate jumped after it, and then lightning, which, through the darkness of entreated the captain to follow her. He evening, revealed the boat in the very act attempted it; but, wanting her youthful of mounting like a horse upon an inner agility, he struck his head against a spar, reef, instantly filling, and throwing out the and sank like lead, giving notice below that crew, every man of whom disappeared his ship was coming. Kate mounted the amongst the breakers. The night which raft, and was gradually washed ashore, but succeeded was gloomy for both the repre- so exhausted, as to have lost all recollecsentatives of his Catholic Majesty. It can- tion. She lay for hours until the warmth