“My name, sir,” replied the other, slightly colouring at such an abrupt demand, “is Wilton Brown.”

“Then, Wilton, I am very glad to see you,” replied the other, holding out his hand—­“you are the very person I wanted to see; for it so happens, that my wise, prudent, and statesmanlike friend, the Earl of Sunbury, having far greater confidence in the security of my noddle than has my worthy parent here, has entrusted to me for your behoof one long letter, and innumerable long messages, together with a strong recommendation to you, to take me to your bosom, and cherish me as any old man would do his grandson; namely, with the most doting, short-sighted, and depraving affection, which can be shown towards a wayward, whimsical, tiresome, capricious boy; and now, if you don’t like my own account of myself, or the specimen you have had this morning, you had better lay down your pen, and come and take a walk with me, in order to shake off your dislike; for it must be shaken off, and the sooner it is done the better.”

The Earl’s brow had by this time gathered into a very ominous sort of frown, and he informed his son in a stern tone, that his clerk, Mr. Brown, was engaged in business of importance, and would not be free from it, he feared, till three o’clock.

“Well, my lord, I will even go and sleep till three,” replied the young man.  “At that hour, Mr. Brown, I will come and seek you.  I have an immensity to say to you, all about nothing in the world, and therefore it is absolutely necessary that I should disgorge myself as soon as possible.”

Thus saying, he turned gaily on his heel, and left the Earl’s cabinet.

“You must excuse him, Mr. Brown,” said the Earl, as soon as he was gone; “he is wild with spirits and youth, but he will soon, I trust, demean himself more properly.”  Wilton made no reply, but thought that if the demeanour of the son was not altogether pleasant, the demeanour of the father was ten times worse.  When the three letters were written, Lord Byerdale immediately informed Wilton that he should have no farther occupation for him that day, although the clock had not much passed the first hour after noon; and as it was evident that he had no inclination to encourage any intimacy between him and his son, the young gentleman retired to his own lodgings, and ordering his horse to be brought round quickly, prepared to take a lengthened ride into the country.

Before the horse could be saddled, however, a servant announced Lord Sherbrooke, and the next moment the son of the Earl of Byerdale entered the room.  There was something in the name that sounded familiar in the ears of Wilton Brown, he could not tell why.  Ile almost expected to see a familiar face present itself at the open door; for so little had been the communication between himself and the Earl of Byerdale, that he had never known till that morning that the Earl had a son, nor ever heard the second title of the family before.  He received his visitor, however, with pleasure, not exactly for the young nobleman’s own sake, but rather on account of the letters and messages which he had promised from the Earl of Sunbury.