Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/361

CH. XXIII.], which had destroyed the ancient privileges of his house, he had accepted of a situation as comptroller of the customs under the Mexican Government at San Blas: he was, consequently, well aware of the more solid advantages of trade; and the summit of his wishes was that I would place his brother in some respectable mercantile house in England, in order that he might afterwards conduct the affairs of his family at home, and take advantage of such connexions as his residence in England, and his knowledge of European business, might possibly afford.

About four o'clock in the evening, he took leave of me, to return to the capital: like his amiable little sister, Doña Maria, he tried, upon this occasion, to give utterance to his feelings; but nature predominated even in the rougher sex, and all he could say, as he unconsciously acceded to the irritability of his mule which seemed to have partaken of his excitement and was moving onwards, was, "Mi hermanito" (my