d all that had happened, not failing to
mention the heavenly hopes with which Baldassare had taken leave of
life.

The old man clasped his hands, raised his eyes to heaven--his lips
moved--he seemed to be communing with his departed friend. "Forgive
me," he said, "if a gloomy mistrust, which is foreign to my character,
influenced me against you. Some time ago it was believed that the
accursed knavery of the enemy had gone so far as to introduce foreign
officers amongst our forces to act as spies. The incidents at Tarragona
but too much encouraged suspicions of this kind, and the Junta has now
determined to expel all foreigners. Don Joachim Blake, however, has
insisted that foreign engineers, at all events, are indispensable to
him, solemnly engaging, at the same time, to shoot down every foreigner
at once who is subject to the slightest ground of suspicion. If you are
a friend of my Baldassare you are undoubtedly a man of valour and
honour. At all events, I have told you everything, and you can act
accordingly." With this he took his departure.

The fortune of arms appeared to have completely abandoned the
Spaniards, and the very courage of despair itself could avail nothing
against the rapidly-advancing foe. Valenzia was hemmed in more and more
closely on all sides, so that Blake, pushed to extremity, determined to
force his way out with twelve thousand chosen troops. It is known that
few succeeded in getting through, that the remainder were in part
killed, in part driven back into the town. It was here that Edgar, at
the head of the brave Ovihuela Rifle Regiment, managed to give a
momentary check to the enemy, thus rendering the wild confusion
of the flight less disastrous. But, as at Tarragona, a musket bullet
struck him down at the crisis of the engagement. He described his
condition from that moment till he regained clear consciousness as one
inexplicably strange. It often seemed to him that he was in the thick
of fighting. He would seem to hear the thunder of the cannon, the wild
cries of the combatants--the Spaniards would seem to be advancing
victorious, but as he was seized on by the joy of battle and starting
off to lead his battalion under fire, he would seem to become suddenly
paralysed, and sink down in unconscious insensibility. Then he would
become clearly aware that he was lying on some soft bed, that people
were giving him cool drink--he heard gentle voices speaking softly, and
yet could not arouse hi