The party thus engaged in colloquy were stationed at a window opening on
the gravel road, along which the judge's carriage was now seen rapidly
approaching; this window was but a few yards from the porch, and had been
partially opened for the better reconnoitring the approach of the
expected guest.

"He keeps the blinds down still! Absence of mind, or shame at
unpunctuality,--which is the cause, Mauleverer?" said one of the party.

"Not shame, I fear!" answered Mauleverer. "Even the indecent immorality
of delaying our dinner could scarcely bring a blush to the parchment skin
of my learned friend."

Here the carriage stopped at the porch; the carriage door was opened.

"There seems a strange delay," said Mauleverer, peevishly. "Why does not
he get out?"

As he spoke, a murmur among the attendants, who appeared somewhat
strangely to crowd around the carriage, smote the ears of the party.

"What do they say,--what?" said Mauleverer, putting his hand to his ear.

The bishop answered hastily; and Mauleverer, as he heard the reply,
forgot for once his susceptibility to cold, and hurried out to the
carriage door. His guests followed.

They found Brandon leaning against the farther corner of the carriage,--a
corpse. One hand held the check-string, as if he had endeavoured
involuntarily but ineffectually to pull it. The right side of his face