He had a brother who was
the exact opposite of him in every way--strikingly good-looking, with
great charm of mariner and _savoir faire_, but with an ordinary
intellect and a very superficial knowledge of literature, or, indeed,
anything else, except records of British military and naval
exploits--where he was really learned. Being full of admiration of
his student brother, and having a parrot-like instinct for mimicry,
he used to talk with great volubility upon all kinds of subjects
wherever he went, and repeat in the same words what he had been
listening to from his brother, until at last he got to be called the
'walking encyclopedia.' The result was that he got the reputation of
being a great reader and an original thinker, while the true student
and book-lover was frequently complimented on the way in which he
took after his learned brother. This did not in the least annoy the
real student, it simply amused him, and he would give with a dry
humour most amusing stories as to what people had said to him on this
subject.
THOMAS ST.
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