were justice desirable at their hands, they could not deal it. Do men
agree whether Charles Stuart was a liar or a martyr? For how many ages
have we believed Nero a monster! A writer now asks, as if demonstrating
a problem, what real historian could doubt that Nero was a paragon? The
patriarchs of Scripture have been declared by modern philosophy to be a
series of astronomical hieroglyphs; and, with greater show of truth, we
are assured that the patriot Tell never existed! Posterity! the word has
gulled men enough without my adding to the number. I, who loathe the
living, can scarcely venerate the unborn. Lucy, believe me that no man
can mix largely with men in political life, and not despise everything
that in youth he adored! Age leaves us only one feeling,--contempt!"

"Are you belied, then?" said Lucy, pointing to a newspaper, the organ of
the party opposed to Brandon: "are you belied when you are here called
'ambitious'? When they call you 'selfish' and 'grasping,' I know they
wrong you; but I confess that I have thought you ambitious; yet can he
who despises men desire their good opinion?"

"Their good opinion!" repeated Brandon, mockingly: "do we want the bray
of the asses we ride? No!" he resumed, after a pause. "It is power, not
honour; it is the hope of elevating oneself in every respect, in the
world without as well as in the world of one's own mind: it is this hope
which makes me labour where I might rest, and will continue the labour to
my grave. Lucy," continued Brandon, fixing his keen eyes on his niece,
"have you no ambition,--have power and pomp and place no charm for your
mind?"

"None!" said Lucy, quietly and simply.

"Indeed! yet there are times when I have thought I recognized my blood in