l! don't you know that I am now a married man--good as the rest
of you?"

"Married, my good doctor! To whom?"

"Why, to a young widow from England, with only one child, and worth
thirty-thousand pounds sterling--think of that!"

"Indeed! Well: I wish you joy, doctor. It's a long road that never
turns. But I hope there's no doubt"--

"There's no doubt or mistake in the matter. The lady was the widow of
an Irish captain, and"--

"The lady in mourning, I presume, to whom you seemed so attentive up
town, a few weeks ago? But whence the necessity of keeping so dark upon
the subject?"

"I thought it like enough you'd think I was behaving kinder-curious-like.
But her husband was lately dead, and she didn't care to see any body
just then;--and besides, I was determined nobody should know what was
going on betwixt us, till the job was done."

"A rich widow, then, and thirty-thousand pounds--sterling, did you
say?"

"Why, to be sure I did."

"And is she young and handsome?"

"She's comfortably good looking--though I don't know that you would say
raly handsome. But the thirty-thousand pounds, you know----"

"Very true: But who would have ever dreamed of your turning
fortune-hunter?"

"No body had more need on't than I."

"Not handsome, but rich: and so, I suppose you will soon learn to sing
the old ballad--

"Her _golden_ charms so sweetly _shine_,
While rising to my raptured view;
That I would rather call _them_ mine,
Than any _girl_ I ever knew!"

"Why, you don't mean to poke fun at me, I hope?"

"Not at all: But have you got the _ready_? Did she give you the
guineas, or good bills of exchange, with her person?"

"Why, no, not exactly that. The fact is, that her property belonged to
her husband, the late Captain Scarlett, of the King's Own, and it's all
vested in real estate."

"And you are quite sure?"

"As sure as a gun: just as sure as if I had the money in my hands. She
has a long row of housen in Dublin, and owns several housen, besides,
in one of the best streets in Liverpool."

Having communicated this agreeable intelligence, Mr. Wheelwright was
apparently about taking his departure, and moved to the door; but
suddenly turning round, as though some part of his errand had been
forgotten, he resumed:--

"So, you see, the small matter I am owing you will soon be paid;--but I
shall be obleeged to raise a little money--only a thousand dollars or
so--to pay a lawyer to investig