THE KING'S OWN BORDERERS. A Military Romance. BY JAMES GRANT, AUTHOR OF "SECOND TO NONE," "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "THE YELLOW FRIGATE," ETC. ETC. "Memories fast are thronging o'er me, Of the grand old fields of Spain; How he faced the charge of Junot, And the fight where Moore was slain. Oh the years of weary waiting For the glorious chance he sought, For the slowly ripened harvest That life's latest autumn brought." IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL. 1865. LONDON: SAVILL AND EDWARDS, PRINTERS, CHANDOS STREET, COVENT-GARDEN. CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME. CHAP. I. PLAYING WITH FIRE II. THE POISONED WINE III. PADRE FLOREZ IV. THE ARMY MARCHES V. HALT AT AZUMAR VI. THE ADVANCE INTO SPAIN VII. RETROGRESSION VIII. A MESSAGE FROM THE ENEMY IX. THE PRISONER X. THE COURT-MARTIAL XI. LOVE ME XII. THE OLD BRIGADIER XIII. THE RETREAT XIV. FRESH DISASTERS XV. A SMILE OF FORTUNE XVI. PIQUE XVII. THE COMBAT OF LUGO XVIII. A WARNING XIX. THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA XX. THE BURIAL XXI. TOO LATE XXII. MADAME DE RIBEAUPIERRE XXIII. THE "BIEN AIMÉ" XXIV. MINDEN LODGE XXV. THE REVELATIONS OF A NIGHT THE KING'S OWN BORDERERS. CHAPTER I. PLAYING WITH FIRE. "Fraught with this fine intention, and well fenced In mail of proof--her purity of soul, She, for the future of her strength convinced, And that her honour was a rock or mole, Exceeding sagely from that hour dispensed With any kind of troublesome control; But whether Julia to the task was equal, Is that which must be gathered in the sequel." BYRON. For two other entire days the rain continued to pour as it only pours in the Peninsula during the wet season, and our travellers were compelled to keep close within the doors of the Villa de Maciera. Could Quentin have lifted the veil that hides the future, and foreseen the turmoil and danger in which this unexpected delay would eventually involve him, he would certainly have made some vigorous efforts to procure horses or mules at Salorino, to push on for Portalegre, in spite of wind or rain; but what, then, was he to do with Donna Isidora? In such a November deluge she could neither travel on horse or foot, and "leathern conveyances" were not to be had in Spanish Estremadura in those days, nor in the present either, probably. To leave her alone in that deserted house was not to be thought of. So Quentin stayed.