served　my　king　fifty　years；　and　I　have　fought　with　…　Heaven　forgive
  me；　what　was　I　about　to　say！　…　but　you　mentioned　the　man's　name；
  and　our　minds　willingly　recall　our　ancient　follies。　　Few　and　evil
  have　been　my　days　upon　earth；　I　may　say　with　Jacob　of　old；　though　I
  do　not　mean　to　say　that　my　case　is　so　hard　as　his；　he　had　many
  undutiful　children；　whilst　I　have　only　…；　but　I　will　not　reproach
  you。　　I　have　also　like　him　a　son　to　whom　I　can　look　with　hope；　who
  may　yet　preserve　my　name　when　I　am　gone；　so　let　me　be　thankful；
  perhaps；　after　all；　I　have　not　lived　in　vain。　　Boy；　when　I　am　gone；
  look　up　to　your　brother；　and　may　God　bless　you　both！　　There；　don't
  weep；　but　take　the　Bible；　and　read　me　something　about　the　old　man
  and　his　children。'
  My　brother　had　now　been　absent　for　the　space　of　three　years。　　At
  first　his　letters　had　been　frequent；　and　from　them　it　appeared　that
  he　was　following　his　profession　in　London　with　industry；　they　then
  became　rather　rare；　and　my　father　did　not　always　communicate　their
  contents。　　His　last　letter；　however；　had　filled　him　and　our　whole
  little　family　with　joy；　it　was　dated　from　Paris；　and　the　writer　was
  evidently　in　high　spirits。　　After　describing　in　eloquent　terms　the
  beauties　and　gaieties　of　the　French　capital；　he　informed　us　how　he
  had　plenty　of　money；　having　copied　a　celebrated　picture　of　one　of
  the　Italian　masters　for　a　Hungarian　nobleman；　for　which　he　had
  received　a　large　sum。　　'He　wishes　me　to　go　with　him　to　Italy；'
  added　he；　'but　I　am　fond　of　independence；　and；　if　ever　I　visit　old
  Rome；　I　will　have　no　patrons　near　me　to　distract　my　attention。'
  But　six　months　had　now　elapsed　from　the　date　of　this　letter；　and　we
  had　heard　no　further　intelligence　of　my　brother。　　My　father's
  complaint　increased；　the　gout；　his　principal　enemy；　occasionally
  mounted　high　up　in　his　system；　and　we　had　considerable　difficulty
  in　keeping　it　from　the　stomach；　where　it　generally　proves　fatal。　　I
  now　devoted　almost　the　whole　of　my　time　to　my　father；　on　whom　his
  faithful　partner　also　lavished　every　attention　and　care。　　I　read
  the　Bible　to　him；　which　was　his　chief　delight；　and　also
  occasionally　such　other　books　as　I　thought　might　prove　entertaining
  to　him。　　His　spirits　were　generally　rather　depressed。　　The　absence
  of　my　brother　appeared　to　prey　upon　his　mind。　　'I　wish　he　were
  here；'　he　would　frequently　exclaim；　'I　can't　imagine　what　can　have
  become　of　him；　I　trust；　however；　he　will　arrive　in　time。'　　He　still
  sometimes　rallied；　and　I　took　advantage　of　those　moments　of
  comparative　ease　to　question　him　upon　the　events　of　his　early　life。
  My　attentions　to　him　had　not　passed　unnoticed；　and　he　was　kind；
  fatherly；　and　unreserved。　　I　had　never　known　my　father　so
  entertaining　as　at　these　moments；　when　his　life　was　but　too
  evidently　drawing　to　a　close。　　I　had　no　idea　that　he　knew　and　had
  seen　so　much；　my　respect　for　him　increased；　and　I　looked　upon　him
  almost　with　admiration。　　His　anecdotes　were　in　general　highly
  curious；　some　of　them　related　to　people　in　the　highest　stations；
  and　to　men　whose　names　were　closely　connected　with　some　of　the
  brightest　glories　of　our　native　land。　　He　had　frequently　conversed
  …　almost　on　terms　of　familiarity　…　with　good　old　George。　　He　had
  known　the　conqueror　of　Tippoo　Saib；　and　was　the　friend　of
  Townshend；　who；　when　Wolfe　fell；　led　the　British　grenadiers　against
  the　shrinking　regiments　of　Montcalm。　　'Pity；'　he　added；　'that　when
  old　…　old　as　I　am　now　…　he　should　have　driven　his　own　son　mad　by
  robbing　him　of　his　plighted　bride；　but　so　it　was；　he　married　his
  son's　bride。　　I　saw　him　lead　her　to　the　altar；　if　ever　there　was　an
  angelic　countenance；　it　was　that　girl's；　she　was　almost　too　fair　to
  be　one　of　the　daughters　of　women。　　Is　there　anything；　boy；　that　you
  would　wish　to　ask　me？　now　is　the　time。'
  'Yes；　father；　there　is　one　about　whom　I　would　fain　question　you。'
  'Who　is　it？　shall　I　tell　you　about　Elliot？'
  'No；　father；　not　about　Elliot；　but　pray　don't　be　angry；　I　should
  like　to　know　something　about　Big　Ben。'
  'You　are　a　strange　lad；'　said　my　father；　'and；　though　of　late　I
  have　begun　to　entertain　a　more　favourable　opinion　than　heretofore；
  there　is　still　much　about　you　that　I　do　not　understand。　　Why　do　you
  bring　up　that　name？　　Don't　you　know　that　it　is　one　of　my
  temptations：　　you　wish　to　know　something　about　him。　　Well！　　I　will
  oblige　you　this　once；　and　then　farewell　to　such　vanities　…
  something　about　him。　　I　will　tell　you　…　his　…　skin　when　he　flung
  off　his　clothes　…　and　he　had　a　particular　knack　in　doing　so　…　his
  skin；　when　he　bared　his　mighty　chest　and　back　for　combat；　and　when
  he　fought　he　stood；　so　。　。　。　。　if　I　remember　right　…　his　skin；　I
  say；　was　brown　and　dusky　as　that　of　a　toad。　　Oh　me！　　I　wish　my
  elder　son　was　here。'
  CHAPTER　XXVIII
  My　brother's　arrival　…　The　interview　…　Night　…　A　dying　father　…
  Christ。
  AT　last　my　brother　arrived；　he　looked　pale　and　unwell；　I　met　him　at
  the　door。　　'You　have　been　long　absent；'　said　I。
  'Yes；'　said　he；　'perhaps　too　long；　but　how　is　my　father？'
  'Very　poorly；'　said　I；　'he　has　had　a　fresh　attack；　but　where　have
  you　been　of　late？'
  'Far　and　wide；'　said　my　brother；　'but　I　can't　tell　you　anything
  now；　I　must　go　to　my　father。　　It　was　only　by　chance　that　I　heard　of
  his　illness。'
  'Stay　a　moment；'　said　I。　　'Is　the　world　such　a　fine　place　as　you
  supposed　it　to　be　before　you　went　away？'
  'Not　quite；'　said　my　brother；　'not　quite；　indeed　I　wish　…　but　ask
  me　no　questions　now；　I　must　hasten　to　my　father。'　　There　was
  another　question　on　my　tongue；　but　I　forbore；　for　the　eyes　of　the
  young　man　were　full　of　tears。　　I　pointed　with　my　finger；　and　the
  young　man　hastened　past　me　to　the　arms　of　his　father。
  I　forbore　to　ask　my　brother　whether　he　had　been　to　old　Rome。
  What　passed　between　my　father　and　brother　I　do　not　know；　the
  interview；　no　doubt；　was　tender　enough；　for　they　tenderly　loved
  each　other；　but　my　brother's　arrival　did　not　produce　the　beneficial
  effect　upon　my　father　which　I　at　first　hoped　it　would；　it　did　not
  even　appear　to　have　raised　his　spirits。　　He　was　composed　enough；
  however：　　'I　ought　to　be　grateful；'　said　he；　'I　wished　to　see　my
  son；　and　God　has　granted　me　my　wish；　what　more　have　I　to　do　now
  than　to　bless　my　little　family　and　go？'
  My　father's　end　was　evidently　at　hand。
  And　did　I　shed　no　tears？　did　I　breathe　no　sighs？　did　I　never　wring
  my　hands　at　this　period？　the　reader　will　perhaps　be　asking。
  Whatever　I　did　and　thought　is　best　known　to　God　and　myself；　but　it
  will　be　as　well　to　observe；　that　it　is　possible　to　feel　deeply；　and
  yet　make　no　outward　sign。
  And　now　for　the　closing　scene。
  At　the　dead　hour　of　night；　it　might　be　about　two；　I　was　awakened
  from　sleep　by　a　cry　which　sounded　from　the　room　immediately　below
  that　in　which　I　slept。　　I　knew　the　cry；　it　was　the　cry　of　my
  mother；　and　I　also　knew　its　import；　yet　I　made　no　effort　to　rise；
  for　I　was　for　the　moment　paralysed。　　Again　the　cry　sounded；　yet
  still　I　lay　motionless　…　the　stupidity　of　horror　was　upon　me。　　A
  third　time；　and　it　was　then　that；　by　a　violent　effort；　bursting　the
  spell　which　appeared　to　bind　me；　I　sprang　from　the　bed　and　rushed
  downstairs。　　My　mother　was　running　wildly　about　the　room；　she　had
  awoke；　and　found　my　father　senseless　in　the　bed　by　her　side。　　I
  essayed　to　raise　him；　and　after　a　few　efforts　supported　him　in　the
  bed　in　a　sitting　posture。　　My　brother　now　rushed　in；　and；　snatching
  up　a　light　that　was　burning；　he　held　it　to　my　father's　face。　　'The
  surgeon；　the　surgeon！'　he　cried；　then；　dropping　the　light；　he　ran
  out　of　the　room　followed　by　my　mother；　I　remained　alone；　supporting
  the　senseless　form　of　my　father；　the　light　had　been　extinguished　by
  the　fall；　and　an　almost　total　darkness　reigned　in　the　room。　　The
  form　pressed　heavily　against　my　bosom　…　at　last　methought　it　moved。
  Yes；　I　was　right；　there　was　a　heaving　of　the　breast；　and　then　a
  gasping。　　Were　those　words　which　I　heard？　　Yes；　they　were　words；
  low　and　indistinct　at　first；　and　then　audible。　　The　mind　of　the
  dying　man　was　reverting　to　former　scenes。　　I　heard　him　mention
  names　which　I　had　often　heard　him　mention　before。　　It　was　an　awful
  moment；　I　felt　stupefied；　but　I　still　contrived　to　support　my　dying
  father。　　There　was　a　pause；　again　my　father　spoke：　　I　heard　him
  speak　of　Minden；　and　of　Meredith；　the　old　Minden　sergeant；　and　then
  he　uttered　another　name；　which　at　one　period　of　his　life　was　much
  in　his　lips；　the　name　of　。　。　。　but　this　is　a　solemn　moment！　　There
  was　a　deep　gasp：　　I　shook；　and　thought　all　was　over；　but　I　was
  mistaken　…　my　father　moved；　and　revived　for　a　moment；　he　supported
  himself　in　bed　without　my　assistance。　　I　make　no　doubt　that　for　a
  moment　he　was　perfectly　sensible；　and　it　was　then　that；　clasping
  his　hands；　he　utte