The letters were irregular and loosely formed, as though written by a
tremulous hand--such letters as old men form when the muscles have
become relaxed.

Mr. Compton went on opening the letters of the firm without taking any
further notice of his partner. The latter sat for some time looking at
the letter without venturing to open it. He held it in both hands, and
looked fixedly at that address as though from the address itself he was
trying to extort some meaning.

He held it thus in both hands looking fixedly at it, with his head bent
forward. Had Mr. Compton thought of taking a look at his usually
impassive companion, he would have been surprised at the change which
had taken place in him at the mere sight of that tremulous handwriting.
For in that he had read grief, misfortune, perhaps death; and as he sat
there, pausing before he dared to break the seal, the contents of the
letter had already been conjectured.

Gloom therefore unutterable gathered upon his face; his features fixed
themselves into such rigidity of grief that they became more expressive
than if they had been distorted by passionate emotions; and over his
brow collected cloud upon cloud, which deepened and darkened every
instant till they overshadowed all; and his face in its statuesque
fixedness resembled nothing so much as that which the artist gives to
Napoleon at the crisis hour of Waterloo, when the Guard has recoiled
from its last charge, and from that Imperial face in its fixed agony the
soul itself seems to cry, "Lost!" "Lost!"

Yet it was only for a few minutes. Hastily subduing his feeling Brandon