r. His manner was unusually gay; his smile more
placid and agreeable than usual; his voice more clear and pleasant. He
laid down the newspaper he had been reading; leaned back upon his
pillow with the air of one who resigned himself to a train of charming
recollections; and after a pause, soliloquised as follows:

'And my friend the centaur, goes the way of his mamma! I am not
surprised. And his mysterious friend Mr Dennis, likewise! I am not
surprised. And my old postman, the exceedingly free-and-easy young
madman of Chigwell! I am quite rejoiced. It's the very best thing that
could possibly happen to him.'

After delivering himself of these remarks, he fell again into his
smiling train of reflection; from which he roused himself at length
to finish his chocolate, which was getting cold, and ring the bell for
more.

The new supply arriving, he took the cup from his servant's hand;
and saying, with a charming affability, 'I am obliged to you, Peak,'
dismissed him.

'It is a remarkable circumstance,' he mused, dallying lazily with the
teaspoon, 'that my friend the madman should have been within an ace of
escaping, on his trial; and it was a good stroke of chance (or, as the
world would say, a providential occurrence) that the brother of my Lord
Mayor should have been in court, with other country justices, into whose
very dense heads curiosity had penetrated. For though the brother of my
Lord Mayor was decidedly wrong; and established his near relationship
to that amusing person beyond all doubt, in stating that my friend
was sane, and had, to his knowledge, wandered about the country with a
vagabond parent, avowing revolutionary and rebellious sentiments; I am
not the less obliged to him for volunteering that evidence. These insane
creatures make such very odd and embarrassing remarks, that they really
ought to be hanged for the comfort of society.'

The country justice had indeed turned the wavering scale against poor
Barnaby, and solved the doubt that trembled in his favour. Grip little
thought how much he had to answer for.

'They will be a singular party,' said Sir John, leaning his head upon
his hand, and sipping his chocolate; 'a very curious party. The hangman
himself; the centaur; and the madman. The centaur would make a very
handsome preparation in Surgeons' Hall, and would benefit science
extremely. I hope they have taken care to bespeak him.--Peak, I am not
at home, of course, to anybody but the hairdre