ood of
his seat; but at last, he would remain in town no longer. You may go
now, thought I, I feel quite safe.

It was about five days after his departure, as I was sauntering, arm and
arm, with the major, who generally dined with me about five days in the
week, that I perceived the carriage of Lord Windermear, with his
lordship in it. He saw us, and pulling his check-string, alighted, and
coming up to us, with the colour mounting to his forehead with emotion,
returned the salute of the major and me.

"Major," said he, "you will excuse me, but I am anxious to have some
conversation with Mr Newland: perhaps," continued his lordship,
addressing me, "you will do me the favour to take a seat in my
carriage?"

Fully prepared. I lost none of my self-possession, but, thanking his
lordship, I bowed to him, and stepped in. His lordship followed, and,
saying to the footman, "Home--drive fast," fell back in the carriage,
and never uttered one word until we had arrived, and had entered the
dining-parlour. He then took a few steps up and down, before he said,
"Mr Newland, or whatever your name may be, I perceive that you consider
the possession of an important secret to be your safeguard. To state my
opinion of your conduct is needless; who you are, and what you are, I
know not; but," continued he, no longer controlling his anger, "you
certainly can have no pretensions to the character of a gentleman."

"Perhaps your lordship," replied I, calmly, "will inform me upon what
you may ground your inference."

"Did you not, in the first place, open a letter addressed to another?"

"My lord, I opened a letter brought to me with the initials of my name,
and at the time I opened it I fully believed that it was intended for
me."

"We will grant that, sir; but after you had opened it you must have
known that it was for some other person."

"I will not deny that, my lord."

"Notwithstanding which, you apply to my lawyer, representing yourself as
another person, to obtain sealed papers."

"I did, my lord; but allow me to say, that I never should have done so,
had I not been warned by a dream."

"By a dream?"

"Yes, my lord. I had determined not to go for them, when in a dream I
was ordered so to do."

"Paltry excuse! and then you break private seals."

"Nay, my lord, although I did go for the papers, I could not, even with
the idea of supernatural interposition, make up my mind to break the
seals. If your lordship will