have excited Paul's risible muscles; but at that moment he really felt
compunction for the unceremonious manner in which he had left her, and
the softness of regretful affection imbued in its hallowing colours even
the image of Piggy Lob.

In conversation of this intellectual and domestic description, the night
and ensuing morning passed away, till Paul found himself in the awful
presence of Justice Burnflat. Several cases were disposed of before his
own; and among others Mr. Duminie Dunnaker obtained his release, though
not without a severe reprimand for his sin of inebriety, which no doubt
sensibly affected the ingenuous spirit of that noble character. At
length Paul's turn came. He heard, as he took his station, a general
buzz. At first he imagined it was at his own interesting appearance; but
raising his eyes, he perceived that it was at the entrance of the
gentleman who was to become his accuser.

"Hush," said some one near him, "'t is Lawyer Brandon. Ah, he's a 'cute
fellow! it will go hard with the person he complains of."

There was a happy fund of elasticity of spirit about our hero; and though
he had not the good fortune to have "a blighted heart,"--a circumstance
which, by the poets and philosophers of the present day, is supposed to
inspire a man with wonderful courage, and make him impervious to all
misfortunes,--yet he bore himself up with wonderful courage under his
present trying situation, and was far from overwhelmed, though he was
certainly a little damped, by the observation he had just heard.

Mr. Brandon was, indeed, a barrister of considerable reputation, and in
high esteem in the world, not only for talent, but also for a great
austerity of manners, which, though a little mingled with sternness and