When the letter was brought into the parlour, which contained the news of my brother’s death, my father had got forwards again upon his journey to within a stride of the compasses of the very same stage of _Nevers_. ----By your leave, Mons. _Sanson_, cried my father, striking the point of his compasses through _Nevers_ into the table--and nodding to my uncle _Toby_ to see what was in the letter--twice of one night, is too much for an _English_ gentleman and his son, Mons. _Sanson_, to be turned back from so lousy a town as _Nevers_ --What think’st thou, _Toby?_ added my father in a sprightly tone. ----Unless it be a garrison town, said my uncle _Toby_----for then ----I shall be a fool, said my father, smiling to himself, as long as I live. --So giving a second nod--and keeping his compasses still upon _Nevers_ with one hand, and holding his book of the post-roads in the other--half calculating and half listening, he leaned forwards upon the table with both elbows, as my uncle _Toby_ hummed over the letter. ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --he’s gone! said my uncle _Toby_. ----Where ----Who? cried my father. ----My nephew, said my uncle _Toby_. ----What--without leave--without money--without governor? cried my father in amazement. No: ----he is dead, my dear brother, quoth my uncle _Toby_. --Without being ill? cried my father again. --I dare say not, said my uncle _Toby_, in a low voice, and fetching a deep sigh from the bottom of his heart, he has been ill enough, poor lad! I’ll answer for him----for he is dead. When _Agrippina_ was told of her son’s death, _Tacitus_ informs us, that, not being able to moderate the violence of her passions, she abruptly broke off her work. --My father stuck his compasses into _Nevers_, but so much the faster. --What contrarieties! his, indeed, was matter of calculation! --_Agrippina’s_ must have been quite a different affair; who else could pretend to reason from history? How my father went on, in my opinion, deserves a chapter to itself.-- CHAPTER III ---- ----And a chapter it shall have, and a devil of a one too--so look to yourselves.