. He became more thrifty, more attentive
to the expenses of life than he had been. Though a despiser of show and
ostentation, and far too hard to be luxurious, he was too scientific an
architect of the weaknesses of others not to have maintained during
his public career an opulent appearance and a hospitable table. The
profession he had adopted requires, perhaps, less of externals to aid it
than any other; still Brandon had affected to preserve parliamentary as
well as legal importance; and though his house was situated in a quarter
entirely professional, he had been accustomed to assemble around his
hospitable board all who were eminent, in his political party, for rank
or for talent. Now, however, when hospitality and a certain largeness of
expenses better became his station, he grew closer and more exact in his
economy. Brandon never could have degenerated into a miser; money, to
one so habitually wise as he was, could never have passed from means
into an object; but he had evidently, for some cause or another, formed
the resolution to save. Some said it was the result of returning health,
and the hope of a prolonged life, to which many objects for which wealth
is desirable might occur. But when it was accidentally ascertained that
Brandon had been making several inquiries respecting a large estate in
the neighbourhood of Warlock, formerly in the possession of his family,
the gossips (for Brandon was a man to be gossiped about) were no longer
in want of a motive, false or real, for the judge's thrift.

It was shortly after his elevation to the bench, and ere these signs of
change had become noticeable, that the same strange ragamuffin whom
we have mentioned before, as introduced by Mr. Swoppem to a private
conference with Brandon, was admitted to the judge's presence.

"Well," said Brandon, impatiently, the moment the door was closed, "your
news?"

"Vy, your 'onor," said the man, bashfully, twirling a thing that stood
proxy for a hat, "I thinks as 'ow I shall be hable to satisfy your
vorship's 'onor.'!" Then, approaching the judge and assuming an
important air, he whispered, "'T is as 'ow I thought!"

"My God!" cried Brandon, with vehemence. "And he is alive,--and where?"

"I believes," answered the seemly confidant of Sir William Brandon,
"that he be's alive; and if he be's alive, may I flash my ivories in a
glass case, if I does not ferret him out; but as to saying vhere he be
at this nick o' the moment, smash