. He asked me in what year I had been
there, and inquired if by any chance I had ever heard of a certain
school there in which it was said the son of the late Duke of Orleans
had been a teacher.

"You are speaking of Monsieur Jost, my old master?" said I, warmed up by
even this passing remembrance of happier days.

"Will you pardon the liberty I am about to take," said he, with some
earnestness, "and allow me to ask, with whom I have the honor to speak?"

"My name is Jasper Carew, sir," said I, with a degree of stern pride a
man feels in asserting a claim that he knows may be contested.

"Jasper Carew!" repeated he, slowly, while he stood still and stared
steadfastly at me--"Jasper Carew! You are then the claimant to the
estates of Castle Carew and Crone Lofty in Wicklow?"

"The property of my late father," said I, assentingly.

"What a singular coincidence should have brought us together," said he,
after a pause. "Do you know, sir, that when you overtook me half an hour
ago, and saw me standing on the side of the stream there, I was less
occupied in thinking how I should cross it than how I could reconcile
certain strange statements which had been made to me respecting your
claim. I am Mr. Hanchett, sir, the counsel to whom your case has been
submitted."

"It is indeed a curious accident that has brought us thus in contact,"
exclaimed I, in surprise.

"I should like to give it another name, young gentleman," said he,
thoughtfully, while he walked along at my side for some moments in
silence. "Has it ever been explained to you, Mr. Carew," said he,
gravely, "what dangers attend such a course of proceeding as you are
now engaged in? How necessarily you must be prepared to give in your
adhesion to many things your advisers deem essential, and of which you
can have no cognizance personally,--in a word, how frequently you
will be forced into a responsibility which you never contemplated or
anticipated? Have all these circumstances been placed fairly and clearly
before you?"

"Never!" replied I.

"Then suffer me to endeavor, in a very few words, to show you some at
least of the perils I allude to." In a few short and graphic sentences
he stated my case, with all its favorable points forcibly and well
delineated. He then exhibited its various weaknesses and deficiencies,
the assumptions for which no proofs were forthcoming, the positions
which were taken without power to maintain them. "To give the required
coher