32

THE COMANDANTE'S REBUKE

to his rival Duval, who was as yet unaware of the happy change which had taken place in his matrimonial prospects. The enemy offered immediately to resign all pretensions to Rosa, and to leave Goya for the present, if Duval should succeed in dissuading me from going to Corrientes.

Full of his mission, on which he felt so much of his happiness to depend, Duvàl came in a flurry before my brother and myself, warmly to plead the cause of Mora. The fact is that the journey to Corrientes was scarcely ever contemplated by us as likely to be performed, for we made sure that such terms as would satisfy the exigency of the case would be granted by Mora. According to the custom of the country, we had set out by asking more than we intended to take; and we therefore now authorized Duval to say to the comandante, that if he would reprehend Mora in the presence of the parties who had witnessed the insult put upon us, and would then state that it was by our forgiveness and by no other right or plea that he could urge, he was not made legally amenable for his conduct, the business should be considered as closed.

After some negociation, these terms were pain

fully acceded to by the defeated Mora, and Duvàl ran to Gonzalez's house to proclaim his triumph to Rosa. He then learned how matters stood; and that Rosa, with the quick diplomacy of a woman in affairs of love, had been beforehand with him, and secured that success to his constant attachment which he fancied was due to his own good management. Rosa, however, carried off her laurels with as much modesty as a little piquante turn she had of showing herself off to the best advantage would allow; and although Duval was laughed at as the dupe, instead of being praised as the diplomatist, he found such a consolation in the affectionate looks and tender little squeezes of the hand of his charming Rosa, that he declared he would like to be so taken in every day of his life, to be so rewarded in return.

The following morning at ten o'clock, the guard was turned out, and our friend the Captain stood at its head. Gonzalez and Duval were placed in front, Captain M'Dougall and our capataz at their side, and my brother and myself left our cottage at the same moment that we saw the comandante approach from his own house, accompanied by Mora. They halted when they got to the one end of the little

34

THE COMANDANTE'S REBUKE.

file of men, and so did we at the other. We stood, linked arm and arm, as if we were unconcerned spectators of the scene. Then the co

mandante (who, by the way, was by no means disinclined to put his imperious uncle down) advanced to the front of the company, and in a very sensible and proper manner read Mora his lecture, and told him, that but for our clemency, he would have had to answer for his conduct before the governor of the province. Mora listened with a scowl on his face, and, the ceremony concluded, he set off that same day for his estancia, which he thenceforward made his permanent residence.

Very shortly afterwards Duval was united to his dear Rosa, and an excellent husband he proved to her. His father-in-law's estancia was placed under his active and judicious management, and prosperity followed his exertions; while all the family, when they saw the happiness which Rosa enjoyed as the wife of Duval, would often congratulate themselves on her escape from the misery of a union with the rich but jealous Mora.

Your's, &c.

W. P. R.

LETTER XXV.

THE AUTHORS to GENERAL MILLER.

the Under

Don Pedro Campbell's Services-The Winding up at Goya-The
Departure Arrival at the Guasú-Wasting of Time-The Pacù
-An Arrival on Board of the San José-Mr. E-
writer-The Isleria-The Carboneros, or Charcoal-Burners—
The Caracoles-Sea Sickness-Arrival in the Outer Roads-The
Chacarero and his Spouse-An Equestrian Fête-The Cockney
Equestrian-Buenos Ayres Road and Pantanos-A Coach pre-
ferable to Horsemanship.

A DAY or two after the adventure of the guardhouse, Campbell came into Goya with the last of our produce, and with all our troops of carts, which were laden with it, and marshalled behind him. He rendered us a faithful account of his operations, and seemed much to regret that his stirring campaign was at an end. We shall by and bye give some account of his further career; but we cannot take leave of him here without saying that, wild and irregular as he was in his ways, and in many of his doings, no man ever served us in South America with more honesty, tact, and zeal than he.

The paying off of our capataces, peons, and ser

36

DON PEDRO CAMPBELL'S SERVICES.

vants of every kind, was like the disbanding of a little army; and as we sold off our " munitions of war," without straining for a price, they were soon dispersed among the Campesinos, or country people, to be again usefully employed in the service of the province.

Our approaching departure, I may safely say, was viewed with general regret; and, from the many parties who had congregated around us, we not only had the heartiest good wishes for our future prosperity, but the warmest desire expressed that we should soon return to the province.

Poor Don Pedro Quesnèy, as we went on making our concluding arrangements, gave us many of his own peculiar tokens of regret : our friend Tuckerman (who had been in high spirits ever since the Quartèl affair), protested over and over again that the pain of his separation from us would only be inferior to that which he had felt on leaving Washington and Charlotte behind him; and Campbell made up his mind to allow twelve months to intervene before he returned to the service of "Pèpe," in the hope that the return of one or other of ourselves would again place him at the head of the Gaucho commerce of the province.