was overtaken by Velasquez, at
whose hand, after a brief but desperate conflict, he met a more
honourable death than he deserved. Upon the following day, his body and
that of his erring but repentant victim were brought to the convent by
peasants of the neighbourhood, and both found sepulture in the chapel.
The convent has since been abandoned and partly pulled down; but the
chapel still stands, and on its paved floor may still be read
inscriptions recording the date and manner of the death of Baltasar de
Villabuena and Carmen de Forcadell.

As if fortune, weary of persecuting Herrera, had on a sudden determined
to favour as much as she had previously slighted him, the same day that
dawned upon his return to Pampeluna brought despatches from Madrid,
announcing his promotion, and granting a free pardon to Count
Villabuena, on the sole condition of his remaining neutral in the
struggle between Carlists and Christinos. It was General Cordova, who,
out of friendship for Herrera, and compassion for the sufferings and
misfortunes of the Count, had exerted his influence, then almost
unlimited, in favour of the latter. To the prescribed condition, Count
Villabuena, already disgusted by the ingratitude of him whom he called
his king, and despairing, since the death of Zumalacarregui, of the
success of the Carlist cause, was without much difficulty induced to
give his adherence.

Less successful were the Count and Rita in prevailing upon Herrera to
leave the service, and, contenting himself with the laurels he had
already won, to retire into private life. Gladly, perhaps, would he have
done so, had he consulted only his inclinations; but he had not
forgotten his pledge to his dying father, never to sheath his sword till
the right cause had triumphed. In common with many of his party, he
believed that triumph to be near at hand. Their recent successes, and
the death of the only man amongst the Pretender's partisans who had
shown military talents of a high order, made the Christinos confident of
the speedy termination of a war which was yet to be prolonged for four
years. And when Herrera, in compliance with the Count's wishes, urged as
entreaties rather than commands, agreed to wait its conclusion before
claiming the hand of his daughter, he little dreamed how many
hard-fought fields he should be present at, how many tearful partings
and joyful meetings would occur, before peace should be restored to
Spain, and Rita could becom