kward
silence for some time. He was evidently in a brown study. I had ample
opportunity for examining his face. Deeply impressed upon his forehead
there was, as I now perceived, an ancient scar of a peculiar shape. At
last, a lovely bit of scenery broke the spell, and conversation began
to flow freely.

We had nearly got within sight of the encampment when he said,

'I am in some perplexity, sir, about the various branches of your
family. Aylwin, I need not tell you, was the name of the greatest man
of this age, and I am anxious to know what is exactly your connection
with him.'

'You surprise me,' I said. 'Out of our own family, in its various
branches, there is, I have been told, no very large number of
Aylwins, and I had no idea that one of them had become famous.'

'I did not say famous, sir, but great; two very different words. Yet,
in a certain deep sense, it may be said of Philip Aylwin's name that
since his lamented death it has even become famous. The Aylwinians
(of which body I am, as you are no doubt aware, founder and
president) are, I may say, becoming--'

'Philip Aylwin!' I said. 'Why, that was my father. He famous!'

The recollection of the essay upon 'Hamalet and Hamlet,' the thought
of the brass-rubbings, the kneecaps and mittens, came before me in an
irresistibly humorous light, and I could not repress a smile. Then
arose upon me the remembrance of the misery that had fallen upon
Winnie and myself from his monomania and what seemed to me his
superstitious folly, and I could not withhold an angry scowl. Then
came the picture of the poor scarred breast, the love-token, and the
martyrdom that came to him who had too deeply loved, and smile and
frown both passed from my face as I murmured,--'Poor father! he
famous!

'Philip Aylwin's son!' said Wilderspin, staring at me. Then, raising
his hat as reverentially to me as if I had been the son of
Shakespeare himself, he said, 'Mr. Aylwin, since Mary Wilderspin went
home to heaven, the one great event of my life has been the reading
of _The Veiled Queen_, your father's book of inspired wisdom upon the
modern Renascence of Wonder in the mind of Man. To apply his
principles to Art, sir--to give artistic rendering to the profound
idea hinted at in the marvellous vignette on the title-page of his
third edition--has been, for some time past, the proud task of my
life. And you are the great man's son! Astonishing! Although his
great learning overwhelms my mi