air. This was Admiral Bartram,
and these were the companions of his solitary meal.

"Ay! ay! ay! here's the new parlor-maid, to be sure!" he began, looking
sharply, but not at all unkindly, at Magdalen. "What's your name, my
good girl? Louisa, is it? I shall call you Lucy, if you don't mind.
Take off the cover, my dear--I'm a minute or two late to-day. Don't
be unpunctual to-morrow on that account; I am as regular as clock-work
generally. How are you after your journey? Did my spring-cart bump you
about much in bringing you from the station? Capital soup this--hot as
fire--reminds me of the soup we used to have in the West Indies in the
year Three. Have you got your half-mourning on? Stand there, and let me
see. Ah, yes, very neat, and nice, and tidy. Poor Mrs. Girdlestone! Oh
dear, dear, dear, poor Mrs. Girdlestone! You're not afraid of dogs, are
you, Lucy? Eh? What? You like dogs? That's right! Always be kind to
dumb animals. These two dogs dine with me every day, except when there's
company. The dog with the black nose is Brutus, and the dog with the
white nose is Cassius. Did you ever hear who Brutus and Cassius were?
Ancient Romans? That's right---good girl. Mind your book and your
needle, and we'll get you a good husband one of these days. Take away
the soup, my dear, take away the soup!"

This was the man whose secret it was now the one interest of Magdalen's
life to surprise! This was the man whose name had supplanted hers in
Noel Vanstone's will!

The fish and the roast meat followed; and the admiral's talk rambled
on--now in soliloquy, now addressed to the parlor-maid, and now directed
to the dogs--as familiarly and as discontentedly as ever. Magdalen
observed with some surprise that the companions of the admiral's dinner
had, thus far, received no scraps from their master's plate. The two
magnificent brutes sat squatted on their haunches, with their great
heads over the table, watching the progress of the meal, with the
profoundest attention, but apparently expecting no share in it. The
roast meat was removed, the admiral's plate was changed, and Magdalen
took the silver covers off the two made-dishes on either side of the
table. As she handed the first of the savory dishes to her master,
the dogs suddenly exhibited a breathless personal interest in the
proceedings. Brutus gluttonously watered at the mouth; and the tongue of
Cassius, protruding in unutterable expectation, smoked again between his
enormous