neral custom with him) all the blinds of the
windows.

Meanwhile Lord Mauleverer, with six friends, was impatiently awaiting
the arrival of the seventh guest.

"Our August friend tarries!" quoth the Bishop of -------, with his hands
folded across his capacious stomach. "I fear the turbot your lordship
spoke of may not be the better for the length of the trial."

"Poor fellow!" said the Earl of --------, slightly yawning.

"Whom do you mean?" asked Lord Mauleverer, with a smile,--"the bishop,
the judge, or the turbot?"

"Not one of the three, Mauleverer,--I spoke of the prisoner."

"Ah, the fine dog! I forgot him," said Mauleverer. "Really, now you
mention him, I must confess that he inspires me with great compassion;
but, indeed, it is very wrong in him to keep the judge so long!"

"Those hardened wretches have such a great deal to say," mumbled the
bishop, sourly.

"True!" said Mauleverer; "a religious rogue would have had some bowels
for the state of the church esurient."

"Is it really true, Mauleverer," asked the Earl of ------, "that Brandon
is to succeed?"

"So I hear," said Mauleverer. "Heavens, how hungry I am!"

A groan from the bishop echoed the complaint.

"I suppose it would be against all decorum to sit down to dinner without
him?" said Lord --------.

"Why, really, I fear so," returned Mauleverer. "But our health--our
health is at stake; we will only wait five minutes more. By Jove,
there's the carriage! I beg your pardon for my heathen oath, my lord
bishop."

"I forgive you!" said the good bishop, smiling.

The party thus engaged in colloquy were stationed at a window opening on
the gravel road, along which the judge's carriage was now seen rapidly
approaching; this window was but a few yards from the porch, and had
been partially opened for the better reconnoitring the approach of the
expected guest.

"He keeps the blinds down still! Absence of mind, or shame at
unpunctuality,--which is the cause, Mauleverer?" said one of the party.

"Not shame, I fear!" answered Mauleverer. "Even the indecent immorality
of delaying our dinner could scarcely bring a blush to the parchment
skin of my learned friend."

Here the carriage stopped at the porch; the carriage door was opened.

"There seems a strange delay," said Mauleverer, peevishly. "Why does not
he get out?"

As he spoke, a murmur among the attendants, who appeared somewhat
strangely to crowd around the carriage, smote the ears of t