Singular！　　And　now　there　is　a　pause；　a　long　pause。　　Ha！　thou
  hearest　something　…　a　footstep；　a　swift　but　heavy　footstep！　thou
  risest；　thou　tremblest；　there　is　a　hand　on　the　pin　of　the　outer
  door；　there　is　some　one　in　the　vestibule；　and　now　the　door　of　thy
  apartment　opens；　there　is　a　reflection　on　the　mirror　behind　thee；　a
  travelling　hat；　a　gray　head　and　sunburnt　face。　　My　dearest　Son！　…
  My　darling　Mother！
  Yes；　mother；　thou　didst　recognise　in　the　distant　street　the　hoof…
  tramp　of　the　wanderer's　horse。
  I　was　not　the　only　child　of　my　parents；　I　had　a　brother　some　three
  years　older　than　myself。　　He　was　a　beautiful　child；　one　of　those
  occasionally　seen　in　England；　and　in　England　alone；　a　rosy；　angelic
  face；　blue　eyes；　and　light　chestnut　hair；　it　was　not　exactly　an
  Anglo…Saxon　countenance；　in　which；　by　the　bye；　there　is　generally　a
  cast　of　loutishness　and　stupidity；　it　partook；　to　a　certain　extent；
  of　the　Celtic　character；　particularly　in　the　fire　and　vivacity
  which　illumined　it；　his　face　was　the　mirror　of　his　mind；　perhaps　no
  disposition　more　amiable　was　ever　found　amongst　the　children　of
  Adam；　united；　however；　with　no　inconsiderable　portion　of　high　and
  dauntless　spirit。　　So　great　was　his　beauty　in　infancy；　that　people；
  especially　those　of　the　poorer　classes；　would　follow　the　nurse　who
  carried　him　about　in　order　to　look　at　and　bless　his　lovely　face。
  At　the　age　of　three　months　an　attempt　was　made　to　snatch　him　from
  his　mother's　arms　in　the　streets　of　London；　at　the　moment　she　was
  about　to　enter　a　coach；　indeed；　his　appearance　seemed　to　operate　so
  powerfully　upon　every　person　who　beheld　him；　that　my　parents　were
  under　continual　apprehension　of　losing　him；　his　beauty；　however；
  was　perhaps　surpassed　by　the　quickness　of　his　parts。　　He　mastered
  his　letters　in　a　few　hours；　and　in　a　day　or　two　could　decipher　the
  names　of　people　on　the　doors　of　houses　and　over　the　shop…windows。
  As　he　grew　up；　his　personal　appearance　became　less　prepossessing；
  his　quickness　and　cleverness；　however；　rather　increased；　and　I　may
  say　of　him；　that　with　respect　to　everything　which　he　took　in　hand
  he　did　it　better　and　more　speedily　than　any　other　person。　　Perhaps
  it　will　be　asked　here；　what　became　of　him？　　Alas！　alas！　his　was　an
  early　and　a　foreign　grave。　　As　I　have　said　before；　the　race　is　not
  always　for　the　swift；　nor　the　battle　for　the　strong。
  And　now；　doubtless；　after　the　above　portrait　of　my　brother；　painted
  in　the　very　best　style　of　Rubens；　the　reader　will　conceive　himself
  justified　in　expecting　a　full…length　one　of　myself；　as　a　child；　for
  as　to　my　present　appearance；　I　suppose　he　will　be　tolerably　content
  with　that　flitting　glimpse　in　the　mirror。　　But　he　must　excuse　me；　I
  have　no　intention　of　drawing　a　portrait　of　myself　in　childhood；
  indeed　it　would　be　difficult；　for　at　that　time　I　never　looked　into
  mirrors。　　No　attempts；　however；　were　ever　made　to　steal　me　in　my
  infancy；　and　I　never　heard　that　my　parents　entertained　the
  slightest　apprehension　of　losing　me　by　the　hands　of　kidnappers；
  though　I　remember　perfectly　well　that　people　were　in　the　habit　of
  standing　still　to　look　at　me；　ay；　more　than　at　my　brother；　from
  which　premisses　the　reader　may　form　any　conclusion　with　respect　to
  my　appearance　which　seemeth　good　unto　him　and　reasonable。　　Should
  he；　being　a　good…natured　person；　and　always　inclined　to　adopt　the
  charitable　side　in　any　doubtful　point；　be　willing　to　suppose　that
  I；　too；　was　eminently　endowed　by　nature　with　personal　graces；　I
  tell　him　frankly　that　I　have　no　objection　whatever　to　his
  entertaining　that　idea；　moreover；　that　I　heartily　thank　him；　and
  shall　at　all　times　be　disposed；　under　similar　circumstances；　to
  exercise　the　same　species　of　charity　towards　himself。
  With　respect　to　my　mind　and　its　qualities　I　shall　be　more　explicit；
  for；　were　I　to　maintain　much　reserve　on　this　point；　many　things
  which　appear　in　these　memoirs　would　be　highly　mysterious　to　the
  reader；　indeed　incomprehensible。　　Perhaps　no　two　individuals　were
  ever　more　unlike　in　mind　and　disposition　than　my　brother　and
  myself：　　as　light　is　opposed　to　darkness；　so　was　that　happy；
  brilliant；　cheerful　child　to　the　sad　and　melancholy　being　who
  sprang　from　the　same　stock　as　himself；　and　was　nurtured　by　the　same
  milk。
  Once；　when　travelling　in　an　Alpine　country；　I　arrived　at　a
  considerable　elevation；　I　saw　in　the　distance；　far　below；　a
  beautiful　stream　hastening　to　the　ocean；　its　rapid　waters　here
  sparkling　in　the　sunshine；　and　there　tumbling　merrily　in　cascades。
  On　its　banks　were　vineyards　and　cheerful　villages；　close　to　where　I
  stood；　in　a　granite　basin　with　steep　and　precipitous　sides；
  slumbered　a　deep；　dark　lagoon；　shaded　by　black　pines；　cypresses；
  and　yews。　　It　was　a　wild；　savage　spot；　strange　and　singular；　ravens
  hovered　above　the　pines；　filling　the　air　with　their　uncouth　notes；
  pies　chattered；　and　I　heard　the　cry　of　an　eagle　from　a　neighbouring
  peak；　there　lay　the　lake；　the　dark；　solitary；　and　almost
  inaccessible　lake；　gloomy　shadows　were　upon　it；　which；　strangely
  modified；　as　gusts　of　wind　agitated　the　surface；　occasionally
  assumed　the　shape　of　monsters。　　So　I　stood　on　the　Alpine　elevation；
  and　looked　now　on　the　gay　distant　river；　and　now　at　the　dark
  granite…encircled　lake　close　beside　me　in　the　lone　solitude；　and　I
  thought　of　my　brother　and　myself。　　I　am　no　moraliser；　but　the　gay
  and　rapid　river；　and　the　dark　and　silent　lake；　were；　of　a　verity；
  no　had　emblems　of　us　two。
  So　far　from　being　quick　and　clever　like　my　brother；　and　able　to
  rival　the　literary　feat　which　I　have　recorded　of　him；　many　years
  elapsed　before　I　was　able　to　understand　the　nature　of　letters；　or
  to　connect　them。　　A　lover　of　nooks　and　retired　corners；　I　was　as　a
  child　in　the　habit　of　fleeing　from　society；　and　of　sitting　for
  hours　together　with　my　head　on　my　breast。　　What　I　was　thinking
  about；　it　would　be　difficult　to　say　at　this　distance　of　time；　I
  remember　perfectly　well；　however；　being　ever　conscious　of　a
  peculiar　heaviness　within　me；　and　at　times　of　a　strange　sensation
  of　fear；　which　occasionally　amounted　to　horror；　and　for　which　I
  could　assign　no　real　cause　whatever。
  By　nature　slow　of　speech；　I　took　no　pleasure　in　conversation；　nor
  in　hearing　the　voices　of　my　fellow…creatures。　　When　people
  addressed　me；　I　not　unfrequently；　especially　if　they　were
  strangers；　turned　away　my　head　from　them；　and　if　they　persisted　in
  their　notice　burst　into　tears；　which　singularity　of　behaviour　by　no
  means　tended　to　dispose　people　in　my　favour。　　I　was　as　much
  disliked　as　my　brother　was　deservedly　beloved　and　admired。　　My
  parents；　it　is　true；　were　always　kind　to　me；　and　my　brother；　who
  was　good　nature　itself；　was　continually　lavishing　upon　me　every
  mark　of　affection。
  There　was；　however；　one　individual　who；　in　the　days　of　my
  childhood；　was　disposed　to　form　a　favourable　opinion　of　me。　　One
  day；　a　Jew　…　I　have　quite　forgotten　the　circumstance；　but　I　was
  long　subsequently　informed　of　it　…　one　day　a　travelling　Jew　knocked
  at　the　door　of　a　farmhouse　in　which　we　had　taken　apartments；　I　was
  near　at　hand　sitting　in　the　bright　sunshine；　drawing　strange　lines
  on　the　dust　with　my　fingers；　an　ape　and　dog　were　my　companions；　the
  Jew　looked　at　me　and　asked　me　some　questions；　to　which；　though　I
  was　quite　able　to　speak；　I　returned　no　answer。　　On　the　door　being
  opened；　the　Jew；　after　a　few　words；　probably　relating　to　pedlery；
  demanded　who　the　child　was；　sitting　in　the　sun；　the　maid　replied
  that　I　was　her　mistress's　youngest　son；　a　child　weak　HERE；　pointing
  to　her　forehead。　　The　Jew　looked　at　me　again；　and　then　said：　　''Pon
  my　conscience；　my　dear；　I　believe　that　you　must　be　troubled　there
  yourself　to　tell　me　any　such　thing。　　It　is　not　my　habit　to　speak　to
  children；　inasmuch　as　I　hate　them；　because　they　often　follow　me　and
  fling　stones　after　me；　but　I　no　sooner　looked　at　that　child　than　I
  was　forced　to　speak　to　it　…　his　not　answering　me　shows　his　sense；
  for　it　has　never　been　the　custom　of　the　wise　to　fling　away　their
  words　in　indifferent　talk　and　conversation；　the　child　is　a　sweet
  child；　and　has　all　the　look　of　one　of　our　people's　children。　　Fool；
  indeed！　did　I　not　see　his　eyes　sparkle　just　now　when　the　monkey
  seized　the　dog　by　the　ear？　…　they　shone　like　my　own　diamonds　…　does
  your　good　lady　want　any　…　real　and　fine？　　Were　it　not　for　what　you
  tell　me；　I　should　say　it　was　a　prophet's　child。　　Fool；　indeed！　he
  can　write　already；　or　I'll　forfeit　the　box　which　I　carry　on　my
  back；　and　for　which　I　should　be　loth　to　take　two　hundred　pounds！'
  He　then　leaned　forward　to　inspect　the　lines　which　I　had　traced。
  All　of　a　sudden　he　started　back；　and　grew　white　as　a　sheet；　then；
  taking　off　his　hat；　he　made　some　strange　gestures　to　me；　cringing；
  chattering；　and　showing　his　teeth；　and　shortly　departed；　muttering
  somethi