d to be, Ned. You used to be
a fellow of spirit; somebody's jilted you, or something--I don't want
to pry into your secrets; but let's have a little comfort for once in a
way, and you shall have the whole business about the old colony, and how
I came to leave it--the truth, and nothing but the truth."

It was some time before the victim yielded; at last, half to escape the
painful ferment of his own thoughts, and half with a natural yearning
for some sympathy and companionship, however uncongenial, he fell out of
his heat and passion into a more complacent mood. He sat down, watching
with a gulp of hardly-restrained disgust that lolling figure in the
chair, every gesture of which was the more distasteful for being so
familiar, and recalling a hundred preliminary scenes all tending towards
this total wreck and shame. Then his mind softened with fraternal
instincts--strange interlacement of loathing and affection. He was
tired, hungry, chilled to his heart. The spell of material comfort,
even in such company, came upon the young man. They supped together,
not much to the advantage of Dr Rider's head, stomach, or temper, on the
following morning. The elder told his story of inevitable failure, and
strange unexplainable fatality. The younger dropped forth expressions of
disappointment and trouble which partly eased his own mind. Thus they
spent together the unlovely evening; and perhaps a few such nights would
have done as much harm to the young doctor's practice as had he introduced
his disreputable brother without more ado into the particular little
world of Carlingford.

CHAPTER II.

Next morning Dr Rider rose mightily vexed with himself, as was to be
supposed. He was half an hour late for breakfast: he had a headache, his
hand shook, and his temper was "awful." Before he was dressed, ominous
knocks came to the door; and all feverish and troubled as he was, you
may imagine that the prospect of the day's work before him did not improve
his feelings, and that self-reproach, direst of tormentors, did not mend
the matter. Two ladies were waiting for him, he was told when he went
down-stairs--not to say sundry notes and messages in the ordinary way
of business--two ladies who had brought two boxes with them, and asked
leave to put them in the hall till they could see Dr Rider. The sight
of this luggage in his little hall startled the doctor. Patients do not
generally carry such things about with them. What did it me