what is the matter?"

"A gentleman, Miss Nelly, that insists on seeing my master."

"A very old and deeply-indebted friend," said I, "that ventures to press
myself on my much-respected benefactor on my return from abroad."

"Alas, sir," replied she, "my uncle would be happy to see you, but--"

At this moment something was heard within the apartment like the falling
of a plate, or glass, and immediately after my friend's voice called
angrily and eagerly for his niece. She entered the room hastily, and
so did I. But it was to see a spectacle, compared with which that of my
benefactor stretched on his bier would have been a happy one.

The easy-chair filled with cushions, the extended limbs swathed in
flannel, the wide wrapping-gown and nightcap, showed illness; but the
dimmed eye, once so replete with living fire--the blabber lip, whose
dilation and compression used to give such character to his animated
countenance--the stammering tongue, that once poured forth such floods
of masculine eloquence, and had often swayed the opinion of the sages
whom he addressed,--all these sad symptoms evinced that my friend was in
the melancholy condition of those in whom the principle of animal life
has unfortunately survived that of mental intelligence. He gazed a
moment at me, but then seemed insensible of my presence, and went
on--he, once the most courteous and well-bred--to babble unintelligible
but violent reproaches against his niece and servant, because he himself
had dropped a teacup in attempting to place it on a table at his elbow.
His eyes caught a momentary fire from his irritation; but he struggled
in vain for words to express himself adequately, as, looking from his
servant to his niece, and then to the table, he laboured to explain that
they had placed it (though it touched his chair) at too great a distance
from him.

The young person, who had naturally a resigned Madonna-like expression
of countenance, listened to his impatient chiding with the most humble
submission, checked the servant, whose less delicate feelings would have
entered on his justification, and gradually, by the sweet and soft tone
of her voice, soothed to rest the spirit of causeless irritation.

She then cast a look towards me, which expressed, "You see all that
remains of him whom you call friend." It seemed also to say, "Your
longer presence here can only be distressing to us all."

"Forgive me, young lady," I said, as well as tears would pe