ir Pandarus; but those old fellows have droll tastes."

"I may go in now, my good fellow, I suppose?" said his lordship to
Barlow; and without waiting an answer, he entered the library. He found
Brandon alone, and bending earnestly over some letters which strewed
his table. Mauleverer carelessly approached, and threw himself into an
opposite chair. Sir William lifted his head, as he heard the movement;
and Mauleverer, reckless as was that personage, was chilled and almost
awed by the expression of his friend's countenance. Brandon's face
was one which, however pliant, nearly always wore one pervading
character,--calmness; whether in the smoothness of social courtesy,
or the austerity of his official station, or the bitter sarcasm which
escaped him at no unfrequent intervals, still a certain hard and
inflexible dryness stamped both his features and his air. But at this
time a variety of feelings not ordinarily eloquent in the outward man
struggled in his dark face, expressive of all the energy and passion
of his powerful and masculine nature; there seemed to speak from his
features and eyes something of shame and anger and triumph and regret
and scorn. All these various emotions, which it appears almost a paradox
to assert met in the same expression, nevertheless were so individually
and almost fearfully stamped as to convey at once their signification
to the mind of Mauleverer. He glanced towards the letters, in which the
writing seemed faint and discoloured by time or damp; and then once more
regarding the face of Brandon, said in rather an anxious and subdued
tone,--

"Heavens, Brandon! are you ill; or has anything happened? You alarm me!"

"Do you recognize these locks?" said Brandon, in a hollow voice; and
from under the letters he drew some ringlets of an auburn hue, and
pushed them with an averted face towards Mauleverer.

The earl took them up, regarded them for a few moments, changed colour,
but shook his head with a negative gesture, as he laid them once more on
the table.

"This handwriting, then?" renewed the judge, in a yet more impressive
and painful voice; and he pointed to the letters.

Mauleverer raised one of them, and held it between his face and the
lamp, so that whatever his features might have betrayed was hidden
from his companion. At length he dropped the letter with an affected
nonchalance, and said,--

"Ah, I know the writing even at this distance of time; this letter is
directed to you!