n?"

"No, sir,--from W----."

"W----?--ay--well. I knew a lady with a name very like W---- (the late
Lady Waddilove) extremely well. I made her some valuable presents: her
ladyship was very sensible of it."

"I don't doubt it, sir," replied Clarence; "such instances of general
beneficence rarely occur!"

"I have some magnificent relics of her ladyship in this box," returned
Mr. Brown.

"Really! then she was no less generous than yourself, I presume?"

"Yes, her ladyship was remarkably generous. About a week before she died
(the late Lady Waddilove was quite sensible of her danger), she called
me to her,--'Brown,' said she, 'you are a good creature; I have had my
most valuable things from you. I am not ungrateful: I will leave you--my
maid! She is as clever as you are and as good.' I took the hint, sir,
and married. It was an excellent bargain. My wife is a charming woman;
she entirely fitted up Mrs. Minden's wardrobe and I furnished the house.
Mrs. Minden was greatly indebted to us."

"Heaven help me!" thought Clarence, "the man is certainly mad."

The waiter entered with the dinner; and Mr. Brown, who seemed to have a
delicate aversion to any conversation in the presence of the Ganymede
of the Holborn tavern, immediately ceased his communications; meanwhile,
Clarence took the opportunity to survey him more minutely than he had
hitherto done.

His new acquaintance was in age about forty-eight; in stature, rather
under the middle height; and thin, dried, withered, yet muscular withal,
like a man who, in stinting his stomach for the sake of economy, does
not the less enjoy the power of undergoing any fatigue or exertion that
an object of adequate importance may demand. We have said already that
he was attired, like twilight, "in a suit of sober brown;" and there
was a formality, a precision, and a cat-like sort of cleanliness in
his garb, which savoured strongly of the respectable coxcombry of the
counting-house. His face was lean, it is true, but not emaciated; and
his complexion, sallow and adust, harmonized well with the colours of
his clothing. An eye of the darkest hazel, sharp, shrewd, and flashing
at times, especially at the mention of the euphonious name of Lady
Waddilove,--a name frequently upon the lips of the inheritor of her
abigail,--with a fire that might be called brilliant, was of that
modest species which can seldom encounter the straightforward glance
of another; on the contrary, it seemed res