the　latter　feeling　was　predominant。　　The　parting　words　of　my
  brother　had　sunk　into　my　mind。　　He　had　talked　of　travelling　in
  strange　regions　and　seeing　strange　and　wonderful　objects；　and　my
  imagination　fell　to　work；　and　drew　pictures　of　adventures　wild　and
  fantastic；　and　I　thought　what　a　fine　thing　it　must　be　to　travel；
  and　I　wished　that　my　father　would　give　me　his　blessing；　and　the
  same　sum　that　he　had　given　my　brother；　and　bid　me　go　forth　into　the
  world；　always　forgetting　that　I　had　neither　talents　nor　energies　at
  this　period　which　would　enable　me　to　make　any　successful　figure　on
  its　stage。
  And　then　I　again　sought　up　the　book　which　had　so　captivated　me　in
  my　infancy；　and　I　read　it　through；　and　I　sought　up　others　of　a
  similar　character；　and　in　seeking　for　them　I　met　books　also　of
  adventure；　but　by　no　means　of　a　harmless　description；　lives　of
  wicked　and　lawless　men；　Murray　and　Latroon　…　books　of　singular
  power；　but　of　coarse　and　prurient　imagination　…　books　at　one　time
  highly　in　vogue；　now　deservedly　forgotten；　and　most　difficult　to　be
  found。
  And　when　I　had　gone　through　these　books；　what　was　my　state　of　mind？
  I　had　derived　entertainment　from　their　perusal；　but　they　left　me
  more　listless　and　unsettled　than　before；　and　　really　knew　not　what
  to　do　to　pass　my　time。　　My　philological　studies　had　become
  distasteful；　and　I　had　never　taken　any　pleasure　in　the　duties　of　my
  profession。　　I　sat　behind　my　desk　in　a　state　of　torpor；　my　mind
  almost　as　blank　as　the　paper　before　me；　on　which　I　rarely　traced　a
  line。　　It　was　always　a　relief　to　hear　the　bell　ring；　as　it　afforded
  me　an　opportunity　of　doing　something　which　I　was　yet　capable　of
  doing；　to　rise　and　open　the　door　and　stare　in　the　countenances　of
  the　visitors。　　All　of　a　sudden　I　fell　to　studying　countenances；　and
  soon　flattered　myself　that　I　had　made　considerable　progress　in　the
  science。
  'There　is　no　faith　in　countenances；'　said　some　Roman　of　old；　'trust
  anything　but　a　person's　countenance。'　　'Not　trust　a　man's
  countenance？'　say　some　moderns；　'why；　it　is　the　only　thing　in　many
  people　that　we　can　trust；　on　which　account　they　keep　it　most
  assiduously　out　of　the　way。　　Trust　not　a　man's　words　if　you　please；
  or　you　may　come　to　very　erroneous　conclusions；　but　at　all　times
  place　implicit　confidence　in　a　man's　countenance；　in　which　there　is
  no　deceit；　and　of　necessity　there　can　be　none。　　If　people　would　but
  look　each　other　more　in　the　face；　we　should　have　less　cause　to
  complain　of　the　deception　of　the　world；　nothing　so　easy　as
  physiognomy　nor　so　useful。'　　Somewhat　in　this　latter　strain　I
  thought　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　speaking。　　I　am　now　older；　and；
  let　us　hope；　less　presumptuous。　　It　is　true　that　in　the　course　of
  my　life　I　have　scarcely　ever　had　occasion　to　repent　placing
  confidence　in　individuals　whose　countenances　have　prepossessed　me
  in　their　favour；　though　to　how　many　I　may　have　been　unjust；　from
  whose　countenances　I　may　have　drawn　unfavourable　conclusions；　is
  another　matter。
  But　it　had　been　decreed　by　that　Fate　which　governs　our　every　action
  that　I　was　soon　to　return　to　my　old　pursuits。　　It　was　written　that
  I　should　not　yet　cease　to　be　Lav…engro；　though　I　had　become；　in　my
  own　opinion；　a　kind　of　Lavater。　　It　is　singular　enough　that　my
  renewed　ardour　for　philology　seems　to　have　been　brought　about
  indirectly　by　my　physiognomical　researches；　in　which　had　I　not
  indulged；　the　event　which　I　am　about　to　relate；　as　far　as　connected
  with　myself；　might　never　have　occurred。　　Amongst　the　various
  countenances　which　I　admitted　during　the　period　of　my　answering　the
  bell；　there　were　two　which　particularly　pleased　me；　and　which
  belonged　to　an　elderly　yeoman　and　his　wife；　whom　some　little
  business　had　brought　to　our　law　sanctuary。　　I　believe　they
  experienced　from　me　some　kindness　and　attention；　which　won　the　old
  people's　hearts。　　So；　one　day；　when　their　little　business　had　been
  brought　to　a　conclusion；　and　they　chanced　to　be　alone　with　me；　who
  was　seated　as　usual　behind　the　deal　desk　in　the　outer　room；　the　old
  man　with　some　confusion　began　to　tell　me　how　grateful　himself　and
  dame　felt　for　the　many　attentions　I　had　shown　them；　and　how
  desirous　they　were　to　make　me　some　remuneration。　　'Of　course；'　said
  the　old　man；　'we　must　be　cautious　what　we　offer　to　so　fine　a　young
  gentleman　as　yourself；　we　have；　however；　something　we　think　will
  just　suit　the　occasion；　a　strange　kind　of　thing　which　people　say　is
  a　book；　though　no　one　that　my　dame　or　myself　have　shown　it　to　can
  make　anything　out　of　it；　so　as　we　are　told　that　you　are　a　fine
  young　gentleman；　who　can　read　all　the　tongues　of　the　earth　and
  stars；　as　the　Bible　says；　we　thought；　I　and　my　dame；　that　it　would
  be　just　the　thing　you　would　like　and　my　dame　has　it　now　at　the
  bottom　of　her　basket。'
  'A　book！'　said　I；　'how　did　you　come　by　it？'
  'We　live　near　the　sea；'　said　the　old　man；　'so　near　that　sometimes
  our　thatch　is　wet　with　the　spray；　and　it　may　now　be　a　year　ago　that
  there　was　a　fearful　storm；　and　a　ship　was　driven　ashore　during　the
  night；　and　ere　the　morn　was　a　complete　wreck。　　When　we　got　up　at
  daylight；　there　were　the　poor　shivering　crew　at　our　door；　they　were
  foreigners；　red…haired　men；　whose　speech　we　did　not　understand；　but
  we　took　them　in；　and　warmed　them；　and　they　remained　with　us　three
  days；　and　when　they　went　away　they　left　behind　them　this　thing；
  here　it　is；　part　of　the　contents　of　a　box　which　was　washed　ashore。'
  'And　did　you　learn　who　they　were？'
  'Why；　yes；　they　made　us　understand　that　they　were　Danes。'
  Danes！　thought　I；　Danes！　and　instantaneously；　huge　and　grisly；
  appeared　to　rise　up　before　my　vision　the　skull　of　the　old　pirate
  Dane；　even　as　I　had　seen　it　of　yore　in　the　pent…house　of　the
  ancient　church　to　which；　with　my　mother　and　my　brother；　I　had
  wandered　on　the　memorable　summer　eve。
  And　now　the　old　man　handed　me　the　book；　a　strange　and　uncouth…
  looking　volume　enough。　　It　was　not　very　large；　but　instead　of　the
  usual　covering　was　bound　in　wood；　and　was　compressed　with　strong
  iron　clasps。　　It　was　a　printed　book；　but　the　pages　were　not　of
  paper；　but　vellum；　and　the　characters　were　black；　and　resembled
  those　generally　termed　Gothic。
  'It　is　certainly　a　curious　book；'　said　I；　'and　I　should　like　to
  have　it；　but　I　can't　think　of　taking　it　as　a　gift；　I　must　give　you
  an　equivalent；　I　never　take　presents　from　anybody。'
  The　old　man　whispered　with　his　dame　and　chuckled；　and　then　turned
  his　face　to　me；　and　said；　with　another　chuckle；　'Well；　we　have
  agreed　about　the　price；　but；　maybe；　you　will　not　consent。'
  'I　don't　know；'　said　I；　'what　do　you　demand？'
  'Why；　that　you　shake　me　by　the　hand；　and　hold　out　your　cheek　to　my
  old　dame；　she　has　taken　an　affection　to　you。'
  'I　shall　be　very　glad　to　shake　you　by　the　hand；'　said　I；　'but　as
  for　the　other　condition；　it　requires　consideration。'
  'No　consideration　at　all；'　said　the　old　man；　with　something　like　a
  sigh；　'she　thinks　you　like　her　son；　our　only　child；　that　was　lost
  twenty　years　ago　in　the　waves　of　the　North　Sea。'
  'Oh；　that　alters　the　case　altogether；'　said　I；　'and　of　course　I　can
  have　no　objection。'
  And　now　at　once　I　shook　off　my　listlessness；　to　enable　me　to　do
  which　nothing　could　have　happened　more　opportune　than　the　above
  event。　　The　Danes；　the　Danes！　　And　was　I　at　last　to　become
  acquainted；　and　in　so　singular　a　manner；　with　the　speech　of　a
  people　which　had　as　far　back　as　I　could　remember　exercised　the
  strongest　influence　over　my　imagination；　as　how　should　they　not！　…
  in　infancy　there　was　the　summer…eve　adventure；　to　which　I　often
  looked　back；　and　always　with　a　kind　of　strange　interest　with
  respect　to　those　to　whom　such　gigantic　and　wondrous　bones　could
  belong　as　I　had　seen　on　that　occasion；　and；　more　than　this；　I　had
  been　in　Ireland；　and　there；　under　peculiar　circumstances；　this　same
  interest　was　increased　tenfold。　　I　had　mingled　much　whilst　there
  with　the　genuine　Irish　…　a　wild　but　kind…hearted　race；　whose
  conversation　was　deeply　imbued　with　traditionary　lore；　connected
  with　the　early　history　of　their　own　romantic　land；　and　from　them　I
  heard　enough　of　the　Danes；　but　nothing　commonplace；　for　they　never
  mentioned　them　but　in　terms　which　tallied　well　with　my　own
  preconceived　ideas。　　For　at　an　early　period　the　Danes　had　invaded
  Ireland；　and　had　subdued　it；　and；　though　eventually　driven　out；　had
  left　behind　them　an　enduring　remembrance　in　the　minds　of　the
  people；　who　loved　to　speak　of　their　strength　and　their　stature；　in
  evidence　of　which　they　would　point　to　the　ancient　raths　or　mounds
  where　the　old　Danes　were　buried；　and　where　bones　of　extraordinary
  size　were　occasionally　exhumed。　　And　as　the　Danes　surpassed　other
  people　in　strength；　so；　according　to　my　narrators；　they　also
  excelled　all　others　in　wisdom；　or　rather　in　Drao