instances," and old ones too, were lying-covered with dust--and a
gun-rack, where some carbines with fixed bayonets were paraded in show
of authority; so that, to an imaginative mind, the aspect of the books
and the fire-arms gave the notion of Justice on the shelf, and Law on
the rack.

But, Andy thought not of these things; he had not the imagination which
sometimes gives a prisoner a passing pleasure in catching a whimsical
conceit from his situation, and, in the midst of his anxiety, anticipating
the satisfaction he shall have in saying a good thing, even at the
expense of his own suffering. Andy only knew that he was locked up in
the justice-room for something he never did. He had only sense enough to
feel that he was wronged, without the spirit to wish himself righted;
and he sauntered up and down the cold, miserable room, anxiously waiting
the arrival of "his honour, Squire O'Grady," to know what his fate might
be, and wondering if they would hang him for upsetting a post-chaise in
which a gentleman _had been_ riding, rather than brooding future means
of redress for his false imprisonment.

There was no window to look out of; he had not the comfort of seeing a
passing fellow-creature--for the sight of one's kind _is_ a comfort. He
could not even behold the green earth and the freshness of nature,
which, though all unconsciously, has still a soothing influence on the
uncultivated mind; he had nothing but the walls to look at, and they
were blank, save here and there that a burnt stick in the hand of one of
the young O'Gradies emulated the art of a Sandwich Islander, and
sketched faces as grotesque as any Pagan could desire for his idol; or
figures after the old well-established school-boy manner, which in the
present day is called Persian painting, "warranted to be taught in three
lessons." Now, this bespeaks degeneracy in the arts; for, in the time we
write of, boys and girls acquired the art without any lessons at all,
and abundant proofs of this intuitive talent existed on the aforesaid
walls. Napoleon and Wellington were fighting a duel, while Nelson stood
by to see fair play, he having nothing better to do, as the battle of
Trafalgar, represented in the distance, could, of course, go on without
him. The anachronism of jumbling Buonaparte, Wellington, and Nelson
together, was a trifle amongst the O'Gradies, as they were nearly as
great proficients in history, ancient and modern, as in the fine arts.
Amidst t