Produced by Al Haines. *THE ROMANCE OF WAR:* OR, THE HIGHLANDERS IN SPAIN BY JAMES GRANT, ESQ. _Late 62nd Regiment._ "In the garb of old Gaul, with the fire of old Rome, From the heath-covered mountains of Scotia we come; Our loud-sounding pipe breathes the true martial strain, And our hearts still the old Scottish valour retain." _Lt.-Gen. Erskine._ IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1846. LONDON: PRINTED BY MAURICE AND CO., HOWFORD BUILDINGS, FENCHURCH STREET. *CONTENTS* Chapter I. Hostilities—A Love Letter II. The Ball.—The Bull-Fight.—An Adventure III. The Skirmish of Fuente Duenna. The Leaguer of Alba de Tormes IV. Angus Mackie V. An Adventure. A Highland Legend VI. A Battle VII. An Out-Picquet Adventure VIII. Pass of Maya.—Pyrenees IX. The Block-house. Mina X. The Châtelet XI. Passage of the Nive *THE ROMANCE OF WAR.* *CHAPTER I.* *HOSTILITIES—A LOVE LETTER.* "Were not my right hand fetter’d by the thought, That slaying thee were but a double guilt In which to steep my soul, no bridegroom ever Stepp’d forth to trip a measure with his bride More joyfully than I, young man, would rush To meet thy challenge." _Macduff’s Cross_, p. 26. Boiling with rage at Louis’s insulting defiance, Ronald returned to his quarters in the Alcanzar, determined at day-break to summon him forth, to fight or apologize. He often repeated the words, "Her heart has never wandered from you." Ah! if this should indeed be the case, and that Alice loved him after all! But from Louis, his honour demanded a full explanation and ample apology, either of which he feared the proud spirit of the other would never stoop to grant. Yet, to level a deadly weapon against the brother of Alice,—against him to whom he had been a constant friend and companion in childhood and maturer youth, and perhaps by a single shot to destroy him, the hopes and the peace of his amiable father and sister, he felt that should this happen, he never could forgive himself. But there was no alternative: it was death or dishonour.