when he was a young man."

"What's that?"

"What we've been speaking of--his hair. I've heard my mother say, when
she first married him--just shake up my pillow a bit, will you, Mat?"

"Yes, yes. And what did you hear your mother say?"

"Oh, nothing particular. Only that when he was a young man, his hair was
exactly like what mine is now."

As those momentous words were spoken, the landlady knocked at the door,
and announced that she was waiting outside with candles, and a nice
cup of tea for the invalid. Mat let her into the bedchamber--then
immediately walked out of it into the front room, and closed the
folding-doors behind him. Brave as he was, he was afraid, at that
moment, to let Zack see his face.

He walked to the fireplace, and rested his head and arm on the
chimney-piece--reflected for a little while--then stood upright
again--and searching in his pocket, drew from it once more that fatal
lock of hair, which he had examined so anxiously and so often during his
past fortnight in the country.

_"Your_ work's done," he said, looking at it for a moment, as it lay in
his hand--then throwing it into the dull red fire which was now burning
low in the grate. _"Your_ work's done; and mine won't be long a-doing."
He rested his head and arm again wearily on the chimney-piece, and
added:

"I'm brothers with Zack--there's the hard part of it!--I'm brothers with
Zack."

CHAPTER XVI. THE DAY OF RECKONING.

On the forenoon of the day that followed Mat's return to Kirk Street,
the ordinarily dull aspect of Baregrove Square was enlivened by a
procession of three handsome private carriages which stopped at Mr.
Thorpe's door.

From each carriage there descended gentlemen of highly respectable
appearance, clothed in shining black garments, and wearing, for the
most part, white cravats. One of these gentlemen carried in his hands a
handsome silver inkstand, and another gentleman who followed him, bore
a roll of glossy paper, tied round with a broad ribbon of sober purple
hue. The roll contained an Address to Mr. Thorpe, eulogizing his
character in very affectionate terms; the inkstand was a Testimonial to
be presented after the Address; and the gentlemen who occupied the three
private carriages were all eminent members of the religious society
which Mr. Thorpe had served in the capacity of Secretary, and from which
he was now obliged to secede in consequence of the precarious state of
his health.

A small