h unsuspecting individual, he felt quite
delighted at the feat; and took the person thus imposed upon into the
number of his favorites. It was upon this principle among others that
Norton, who pretended never to see through his flimsy irony, contrived
to keep in his favor, and to shape him according to his wishes, whilst
he made the weak-minded young man believe that everything he did and
every step he took was the result of his own deliberate opinion, whereas
in fact he was only a puppet in his hands.

His father, who was naturally kind and indulgent, felt deeply grieved
and mortified by the reflections arising from this visit. During the
remainder of the day he seemed wrapped in thought; but we do not attempt
to assert that the dialogue with his son was the sole cause of this.
He more than once took out his brother's letter which he read with
surprise, not unmingled with strong curiosity and pain. It was, as
he said, extremely enigmatical, whilst at the same time it contained
evidences of that deplorable spirit which almost uniformly embitters
so deeply the feuds which arise from domestic misconceptions. On this
point, however, we shall enable the reader to judge for himself. The
letter was to the following effect:

"My Lord Cullamore.--It is now nine months and upwards since I addressed
a letter to your son; and I wrote to him in reference to you, because it
had been for many years my intention never to have renewed or held any
communication whatsoever with you. It was on this account, therefore,
that I opened, or endeavored to open, a correspondence with him rather
than with his father. In this I have been disappointed, and my object,
which was not an unfriendly one, frustrated. I do not regret, however,
that I have been treated with contempt. The fact cancelled the foolish
indulgence with which an exhibition of common courtesy and politeness,
if not a better feeling, on the part of your son, might have induced me
to treat both you and him. As matters now stand between us, indulgence
is out of the question; so is compromise. I shall now lose little time
in urging claims which you will not be able to withstand. Whether you
suspect the nature of these claims or not is more than I know. Be that,
however, as it may, I can assure you that I had resolved not to disturb
your last days by prosecuting them during your lifetime. That resolution
I have now rescinded, and all that remains for me to say is; that as
little time