lowed the sports of the field with the ardour natural to his age and character, he rather annoyed the Squire by his obstinate and persevering attention to his studies at College; he remembered that walking and shooting were accomplishments which he might have acquired and perfected in the woods of Virginia; but he felt it due to his parents, and to the confidence which they had reposed in his discretion, to carry back with him some more useful knowledge and learning.

With this dutiful motive, he commenced his studies; and as he advanced in them, his naturally quick intellect seized on and appreciated the beauties presented to it; authors, in whose writings he had imagined and expected little else but difficulties, soon became easy and familiar; and what he had imposed upon himself from a high principle as a task, proved, ere long, a source of abundant pleasure.

In the vacations he visited his good-humoured uncle, who never failed to rally him as Latin-monger" and a book-worm; but Reginald bore the jokes with temper not less

a

66

merry than his uncle's; and whenever, after a hard run, he had "pounded" the Squire or the huntsman, he never failed to retaliate by answering the compliments paid him on his riding with some such jest as "Pretty well for a bookworm, uncle." It soon became evident to all the tenants, servants, and indeed to the whole neighbourhood, that Reginald exercised a despotic influence over the Squire, who respected internally those literary attainments in his nephew which he affected to ridicule.

When Reginald had taken his degree, which he did with high honour and credit, he felt an ardent desire to visit his friend and schoolfellow, Edward Ethelston, in Germany; he was also anxious to see something of the Continent, and to study the foreign languages; this wish he expressed without circumlocution to the Squire, who received the communication with undisguised disapprobation: "What the devil can the boy want to go abroad for? not satisfied with wasting two or three years poking over Greek, Latin, Mathematics, and other infernal 'atics' and 'ologies,' now you must go across

the Channel, to eat sour-kraut, soup-maigre, and frogs! I won't hear of it, sir;" and in order to keep his wrath warm, the Squire poked the fire violently.

In spite of this determination Reginald, as usual, carried his point, and in a few weeks was on board a packet bound for Hamburgh, his purse being well filled by the Squire, who told him to see all that could be seen, and " not to let any of those Mounseers top him at anything." Reginald was also provided with letters of credit to a much larger amount than he required; but the first hint which he gave of a wish to decline a portion of the Squire's generosity raised such a storm, that our hero was fain to submit.

CHAPTER IV.

CONTAINING SUNDRY ADVENTURES OF REGINALD BRANDON AND HIS FRIEND ETHELSTON ON THE CONTINENT; ALSO SOME FURTHER PROCEEDINGS AT SQUIRE SHIRLEY'S; AND

THE RETURN OF REGINALD BRANDON TO HIS HOME. IN THIS CHAPTER THE SPORTING READER WILL FIND AN EXAMPLE OF AN UNMADE RIDER ON A MADE HUNTER.

REGINALD having joined his attached and faithful friend Ethelston at Hamburgh, the the young men agreed to travel together; and the intimacy of their early boyhood ripened into a mature friendship, based upon mutual esteem; in personal advantages, Reginald was greatly the superior; for although unusually tall and strongly built, such was the perfect symmetry of his proportions, that his height, and the great muscular strength of his chest and limbs, were carried off by the grace with

which he moved, and by the air of high-breeding by which he was distinguished; his countenance was noble and open in expression; and though there was a fire in his dark eye which betokened passions easily aroused, still there was a frankness on the brow, and a smile around the mouth that told of a nature at once kindly, fearless, and without suspicion.

Ethelston, who was, be it remembered, three years older than his friend, was of middle stature, but active, and well proportioned; his hair and eyebrows were of the jettest black, and his countenance thoughtful and grave; but there was about the full and firm lip an expression of determination not to be mistaken; habits of study and reflection had already written their trace upon his high and intellectual brow; so that one who saw him for the first time might imagine him only a severe student; but ere he had seen him an hour in society, he would pronounce him a man of practical and commanding character. The shade of melancholy, which was almost habitual on his countenance, dated from the death of his father,