what the devil does she mean? ah, some prog, undoubtedly. Recollect, Linton, I had taken my siesta fasting, and sleep is good for digestion. Thank you, dear girl,' said I, in good English, presto! produce the prog; and bring it in yourself-your presence will add much to the enjoyment of the repast, be it what it may.' On this she vanished; but as she did so, it occurred to me that a sort of sly twitching about the muscles of her mouth gave evidence of a desire to laugh, if courtesy and the natural politeness of her sex had not served to suppress the desire. On second thoughts, however, it occurred to me that my mode of expression in the Biscayan tongue was not precisely such as it might have been had I paid more attention to the learning of that language than chasing the French army. However, I awaited patiently her return, having slipped on my undress coat, of which I had eased myself during the sleepy hours; I had not long to wait, for shortly afterwards the Alcade entered, bearing in hand a black bottle, which he declared to be a veritable bottle of Xeres, which had been in his possession for some years, and which had escaped the thirsty throttles of Jerome's soldados; I thanked the worthy official, who forthwith departed, leaving the fair Maritana, as she called herself, to supply my table with a dish of pork, unequalled and unsurpassable for excellence even in the land of pigs. I should tell you, however, Linton- for with all your sporting taste you were never at a pig hunt-that the excellence of this article of man's consumption in Spain is caused by the fact of droves of pigs being allowed to cater for themselves in the sweet chestnut woods, which not only cause them to become very fat, but also their flesh remarkably white and delicate. The fact of a pig chase, moreover, was not uncommon in the Peninsula; I will not, however, detain you long on the subject; but you will fancy in your mind's eye a squadron of hungry dragoons, the enemy in front, whom they are following by forced marches, the commissariat far in the rear-a country devastated by the flying foe-the hungry lancers pass through a chesnut wood, some score of porkers are greedily feeding on the delicious nuts, empty stomachs are not readily controlled, a famished trooper gives the word charge, the lances are bent to the rest, and sundry flying piggys are pinned to their mother earth to rise no more. I have witnessed one of these chases, and can answer for its excitement. But while I pour out a bumper of the Alcade's Xeres, which, by-the-bye, was excellent in its way, but as much like the sherry we drank at your uncle's table as bottled stout is to gooseberry wine, do you mix yourself another tumbler. Well, in addition to the stewed pork, the lovely Maritana placed on the table a red-legged partridge, and I fell to in spite of my admiration of her charms, the cravings of appetite carrying all before it. At length my ardour being somewhat appeased, I again tried hard to muster a few soft sentiments in pure Castilian; but, like my Biscayan education, it failed; I pressed the fair damsel to try the pork, then the breast of the bird, then a glass of her governor's Xeres, as I supposed him; and then, having well nigh finished, she placed a few cigarollos on the table. Excellenza!' said I, no longer able to contain the sensations she inspired in a breast glowing from renewed physical energies, Excellenza!' said I, adored Signora del Sobosa, or of Salvitierra, or whatever you be, permit me to cast myself at your beautiful feet, and henceforth dub me your knight; for by the cloth I wear, and the Queen I serve, you have

given me the best dinner, and bestowed on me the most admirable joy in your society, I have obtained since I first set foot in the land of Dons and chocolate.' Having uttered these sentiments in the best possible language I was master of, will you believe it? the lovely creature burst into a loud fit of laughter; and in English, pure as that breathed in the saloons of London, she begged I would not distress myself' To me,' she said, it is alike a pleasure to serve the table of a soldier and an officer, far more so one who comes from the land of my father, and has fought and conquered the enemies to that of my mother.' Then who the devil are you?' said I, forgetting in my astonishment my usual courtesy: you know, Linton, I am always vastly polite to the ladies. I am,' said she, an Englishwoman, if the fact of my having been born in the vale of Berkeley has anything to do with it; my father was a confidential servant in the family of one of the Earls of that name; he was a man of some education, and the place he held was one of considerable emolument. It chanced that the Spanish ambassador and his lady visited the castle, and near the person of the latter was a very beautiful girl, who held the place of Abigail: they had not remained long at the castle ere my father sought her love, and the ensuing season in London saw them married. My father then procured a place of under-steward or bailiff, and my younger years were passed amidst the glorious vales of Gloucestershire. On the death of my father, however, which took place when I was about ten years of age, my mother was urged by her brother, then resident in Madrid, and now your host, to return to her native country; we did so, but when barely fifteen I lost her also, and I have since resided with my uncle, who some few years ago was appointed Alcady of Salvitierra. I have now, Sir, told you my history; you need therefore be no longer surprised at my desire to add to your comfort, or at my fairness of complexion, which appeared to surprise you, inasmuch as my father was remarkably fair, and my mother by no means so dark as are generally speaking the Spanish women of Andalusia.' When the reveillée sounded next morning, and I warmly shook the fair Maritana by the hand, and thanked the worthy signor for his hospitality, and heard her say again and again that she should have much delight in visiting the rich vales of Berkeley, where she had first seen the light of day, the heart of I, Ichabod, felt sad; for it was the first time and the last time of my life that I ever was, or ever shall be, in love. And to you, Linton, it cannot be a matter of surprise, that as I am now about to return in recollection to that very castle I have named, that Maritana should once more have appeared before me in imagination, and gladdened my bachelor heart with memories of the past, not always so pleasing."

"Well, Piggy, you are a lucky fellow to have escaped the battle of life with so few wounds from the Amazonian host; but your tale of the fair Anglo-Biscayan makes me only the more desirous to enter the castle of Berkeley, and thence let us proceed to those noble animals more worthy of the game they chase for others' pleasure than were your gallant lancers of their porkers, though I doubt not you were confoundedly hard up at times for grub in those days of your campaigning, so you do double duty now. I never saw a fellow in my life stow away brill and maccaroni as you did this evening."

"Well, the old gentleman kept pressing me to eat, so I ate-first because I was hungry, then out of courtesy, and then because he told

me his cook would have the remnant, which I thought somewhat preposterous in these days of reduction. But to return to the castle of Berkeley, beneath the portals of which we now entered; a place historically interesting and painfully associated with an eventful epoch, from the circumstances of Edward II. being murdered there. The room

in which this barbarous deed was committed is still shown; and, if history can be relied on, there still remains evidence of the crime in the bloodstained floor. This is enough to induce the curious to pass a day in visiting such scenes. But to the sportsman what glories are there revealed! —a stable filled with hunters, a kennel filled with hounds, a wide and splendid English vale, mile beyond mile seen from the turret windows.

"

LADY EVELYN.

WINNER OF THE OAKS, 1849.

ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY HARRY HALL.

Lady Evelyn, bred by her present owner, Lord Chesterfield, in 1846, was got by Don John, out of Industry, by Priam; her dam Arachne, by Filho da Puta-Treasure, by Camillus.

Don John, bred by Mr. Garforth in 1835, is by Tramp, or Waverley; dam (Hetman Platoff's dam) by Comus, out of Marciana, by StanfordMarcia, by Coriander-Faith, by Pacolet. Don John, it will be remembered, appears on the record as a Great St. Leger winner; while as a stud horse, in addition to Arkwright and Distaffina, own brother and sister to Lady Evelyn, he is also the sire of Iago, Lovelace, Maid of Masham, Mrs. Taft, Grist, Clerk of the Council, and many other winners.

Industry, bred by Lord Chesterfield in 1835, left the training-stable with proportionate éclât, having carried off the Oaks for her noble owner the same season Don John brought him home for the St. Leger. She was put to the stud in 1841, and has thrown a foal regularly every year since, including, as already mentioned, Arkwright and Distaffina, with Barcelona, now a yearling, by Don John; Stitch and Stultz, by Hornsea; a filly by Pantaloon, in 1847; and a cross to Touchstone, this spring.

Lady Evelyn is a mealy brown mare, standing fifteen hands an inch and a half high. She has a small, lean, blood-like head; rather strong neck; and beautiful oblique shoulder. She has great depth of girth, good back, fine arms and thighs, and powerful quarters, with sound, wearing legs and feet. Lady Evelyn is altogether a handsome model of a race-horse-low and lengthy, with a good development of muscular power, but without any of that coarseness we too often now find associated with it.

Lady Evelyn takes her title after a daughter of her noble owner-an