Chapter 15 - Page 2

vivacious Gallic neighbours were not slow to open a frank communion
with their visiters, he chose to keep aloof, seemingly content with
the society of his daughter, who was a girl just emerging from the
condition of childhood into that of a woman.

The curiosity of the youthful Inez, however, was not so inactive. She
had not heard the martial music of the garrison, melting on the
evening air, nor seen the strange banner, which fluttered over the
heights that rose at no great distance from her father's extensive
grounds, without experiencing some of those secret impulses which are
thought to distinguish the sex. Natural timidity, and that retiring
and perhaps peculiar lassitude, which forms the very groundwork of
female fascination, in the tropical provinces of Spain, held her in
their seemingly indissoluble bonds; and it is more than probable, that
had not an accident occurred, in which Middleton was of some personal
service to her father, so long a time would have elapsed before they
met, that another direction might have been given to the wishes of
one, who was just of an age to be alive to all the power of youth and
beauty.

Providence--or if that imposing word is too just to be classical, fate
--had otherwise decreed. The haughty and reserved Don Augustin was by
far too observant of the forms of that station, on which he so much
valued himself, to forget the duties of a gentleman. Gratitude, for
the kindness of Middleton, induced him to open his doors to the
officers of the garrison, and to admit of a guarded but polite
intercourse. Reserve gradually gave way before the propriety and
candour of their spirited young leader, and it was not long ere the
affluent planter rejoiced as much as his daughter, whenever the well
known signal, at the gate, announced one of these agreeable visits
from the commander of the post.

It is unnecessary to dwell on the impression which the charms of Inez
produced on the soldier, or to delay the tale in order to write a
wire-drawn account of the progressive influence that elegance of
deportment, manly beauty, and undivided assiduity and intelligence
were likely to produce on the sensitive mind of a romantic, warm-
hearted, and secluded girl of sixteen. It is sufficient for our
purpose to say that they loved, that the youth was not backward to
declare his feelings, that he prevailed with some facility over the
scruples of the maiden, and with no little difficulty over the
objections of her father, and that before the province of Louisiana
had been six months in the possession of the States, the officer of
the latter was the affianced husband of the richest heiress on the
banks of the Mississippi.

Although we have presumed the reader to be