bargain was struck; the descendant of a knightly race
married the only daughter of the City shopkeeper, and became a junior
partner in the business. He told his son that he had never repented
the step he had taken; that his lowly-born wife was sweet, docile, and
affectionate; that his family by her was large; and that he and they
were thriving and happy. He inquired after his first (or rather, I
should say, his true) wife with friendly affection; approved of what she
had done with regard to his estate, and the education of his children;
but said that he considered he was dead to her, as she was to him. When
he really died he promised that a particular message, the nature of
which he specified, should be sent to his son at Garrett; until then
they would not hear more of each other; for it was of no use attempting
to trace him under his incognito, even if the oath did not render such
an attempt forbidden. I dare say the youth had no great desire to trace
out the father, who had been one in name only. He returned to Lancashire;
took possession of the property at Manchester; and many years elapsed
before he received the mysterious intimation of his father's real death.
After that, he named the particulars connected with the recovery of the
title-deeds to Mr. S., and one or two intimate friends. When the family
became extinct, or removed from Garratt, it became no longer any very
closely kept secret, and I was told the tale of the disappearance by
Miss S., the aged daughter of the family agent.

Once more, let me say I am thankful I live in the days of the Detective
Police; if I am murdered, or commit bigamy, at any rate my friends will
have the comfort of knowing all about it.

A correspondent has favoured us with the sequel of the disappearance
of the pupil of Dr. G., who vanished from North Shields, in charge
of certain potions he was entrusted with, very early one morning, to
convey to a patient:--"Dr. G.'s son married my sister, and the young
man who disappeared was a pupil in the house. When he went out with the
medicine, he was hardly dressed, having merely thrown on some clothes;
and he went in slippers--which incidents induced the belief that he was
made away with. After some months his family put on mourning; and the
G.'s (_very_ timid people) were so sure that he was murdered, that
they wrote verses to his memory, and became sadly worn by terror. But,
after a long time (I fancy, but am not sure, about a year and