And what did you hear your mother say?"
"Oh, nothing particular. Only that when he was a young man, his hair
was exactly like what mine is now."
As those momentous words were spoken, the landlady knocked at the door,
and announced that she was waiting outside with candles, and a nice cup
of tea for the invalid. Mat let her into the bedchamber--then
immediately walked out of it into the front room, and closed the
folding-doors behind him. Brave as he was, he was afraid, at that
moment, to let Zack see his face.
He walked to the fireplace, and rested his head and arm on the
chimney-piece--reflected for a little while--then stood upright
again--and searching in his pocket, drew from it once more that fatal
lock of hair, which he had examined so anxiously and so often during
his past fortnight in the country.
_"Your_ work's done," he said, looking at it for a moment, as it lay in
his hand--then throwing it into the dull red fire which was now burning
low in the grate. _"Your_ work's done; and mine won't be long a-doing."
He rested his head and arm again wearily on the chimney-piece, and
added:
"I'm brothers with Zack--there's the hard part of it!--I'm brothers
with Zack."
CHAPTER XVI.
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