father and I--grew up, your father grew daily more like our mother,
while I became strangely infatuated with the old man and his store of
curiosities. He was also fond of me, showed me all his treasures,
dwelling upon the particular beauty of each. Miser as our father was, he
occasionally gave money to his younger son, but he never gave any to me,
and I had to consider this as an especial favour, for had I not the
privilege of sharing the main interest of his life?

"When my father died, there was hardly enough ready money in his desk to
pay his funeral expenses, and he had left a very strange will. He had
kept minute accounts of the amount he had spent each day and year for
different objects. All the money he had given to my mother and my
younger brother was reckoned up and subtracted from their share under
his will. He wrote that, as he knew that his wife was well provided for,
having a considerable fortune of her own, he left her a life-estate in
such one of his many domains as she might select. With regard to his two
sons, one had never shown him any love, and visited him only when in
want of spending-money; the other had never asked for a penny, although
he had received less from his mother than her favourite, the younger.
Yet, as a dutiful father, he did not wish to be partial; therefore his
sons were to divide his lands, goods, and chattels in the following
manner:--One was to take all his ready money, bonds, and objects of
gold, silver, and jewellery of recent workmanship (meaning the present
century), besides his horses and cattle, and the wine in the cellars;
while the other was to take possession of all the lands and the
residuary estate, on condition that he should reside in this particular
mansion and take charge of the museum therein, that he should never
marry, never accept any public office, in order that the treasures under
his care might receive the full benefit of his resources. He was
required to pledge himself to live in exactly the same secluded and