servant."--"But Barton," said I, "I did not follow or watch you;
I--"--"I beg your pardon, sir," he replied; "it is not for _me_
to contradict; but you'll forgive me, sir, I would rather go; I
_must_ go."

At this moment I was on the very point of easing his mind, and
retaining my faithful servant by a disclosure of my power; but it was
yet too new to be parted with; so I affected an anger I did not feel,
and told him he might go where he pleased. I had, however, ascertained
that the old gentleman had not deceived me in his promises; and,
elated with the possession of my extraordinary faculty, I hurried the
operation of dressing, and before I had concluded it, my ardent friend
Sheringham was announced; he was waiting in the breakfast-room. At
the same moment, a note from the lovely Fanny Haywood was delivered
to me--from the divine girl who, in the midst of all my scientific
abstraction, could "chain my worldly feelings for a moment."
"Sheringham, my dear fellow," said I, as I advanced to welcome him,
"what makes you so early a visiter this morning?"--"An anxiety,"
replied Sheringham, "to tell you that my uncle, whose interest I
endeavoured to procure for you, in regard to the appointment for which
you expressed a desire, has been compelled to recommend a relation of
the marquess; this gives me real pain, but I thought it would be best
to put you out of suspense as soon as possible."--"Major Sheringham,"
said I, drawing myself up coldly, "if this matter concerns you so
deeply as you seem to imply that it does, might I ask why you so
readily agreed to your uncle's proposition or chimed in with his
suggestion, to bestow the appointment on this relation of the
marquess, in order that _you_ might, in return for it, obtain the
promotion for which you are so anxious?"--"My dear fellow," said
Sheringham, evidently confused, "I--I--never chimed in; my uncle