“What signifies that, my dear fellow, when your wig is out of balance? it’s a little to the one side, like the ear of an empty jug, as they say.”

“Why, sir,” replied the baronet, “the fact is, that I felt—­hum!—­hum—­so much—­so much—­a—­anxiety—­hum!—­to see you and—­a—­a—­to know all about it—­that—­a—­I didn’t take time to—­a—­look to my dress.  And besides, as I—­hum!—­expect to have—­a—­the pleasure of an interview with Miss Folliard—­a—­hum!—­now that I’m here—­I feel anxious to appear to the best advantage—­a—­hum!”

[Illustration:  PAGE 29—­Readjustment of his toilet, at the large mirror]

While speaking he proceeded with the readjustment of his toilet at the large mirror, an operation which appeared to constitute the great object on which his mind was engaged, the affair of the squire’s life or death coming in only parenthetically, or as a consideration of minor importance.

In height Sir Robert Whitecraft was fully six feet two; but being extremely thin and lank, and to all appearance utterly devoid of substance, and of every thing like proportion, he appeared much taller than even nature had made him.  His forehead was low, and his whole character felonious; his eyes were small, deep set, and cunning; his nose was hooked, his mouth was wide, but his lips thin to a miracle, and such as always—­are to be found under the nose of a miser; as for a chin, we could not conscientiously allow him any; his under-lip sloped off until it met the throat with a curve not larger than that of an oyster-shell, which when open to the tide, his mouth very much resembled.  As for his neck, it was so long that no portion of dress at that time discovered was capable of covering more than one third of it; so that there were always two parts out of three left stark naked, and helplessly exposed to the elements.  Whenever he smiled he looked as if he was about to weep.  As the squire said, he was dreadfully round-shouldered—­had dangling arms, that kept napping about him as if they were moved by some machinery that had gone out of order—­was close-kneed—­had the true telescopic leg—­and feet that brought a very large portion of him into the closest possible contact with the earth.

“Are you succeeding, Sir Robert?” inquired the old man sarcastically, “because, if you are, I swear you’re achieving wonders, considering the slight materials you have to work upon.”

“Ah! sir,” replied the baronet, “I perceive you are in one of your biting humors to-day.”

“Biting!” exclaimed the other.  “Egad, it’s very well for most of your sporting acquaintances that you’re free from hydrophobia; if you were not, I’d have died pleasantly between two feather beds, leaving my child an orphan long before this.  Egad, you bit me to some purpose.”

“Oh, ay, you allude to the affair of ‘Hop-and-go-constant’ and ’Pat the Spanker;’ but you know, my dear sir, I gave you heavy boot;” and as he spoke, he pulled up the lapels of his coat, and glanced complacently at the profile of his face and person in the glass.