to restore to Mrs Stafford her
income, but to increase it, provided she would consent not again to
receive her daughter-in-law, and to bring up the child herself. This
was a hard trial to the poor young mother, but she could not hold out
when old Mrs Stafford persuaded her son to consent to the arrangement
under the belief that it was likely to prove advantageous to the boy.
Both Mrs Stafford and her daughter had, however, cause to regret this
arrangement, for they found that they were constantly watched, they
believed, by some agent of Biddulph, and they were persuaded his object
was to get possession of the child; however, by constant vigilance, they
were able to defeat it. Now comes the mysterious part of the business.
Old Mrs Stafford, who had been for some time in declining health, died;
and the day after her funeral Emily and the child disappeared. The idea
was that either Biddulph had won her over, or that she, frightened by
his threats, had gone off secretly to escape from him, thinking that by
some means or other he would get hold of the boy. The latter opinion I
believe to be the true one; indeed, Biddulph Stafford, having been seen
at Bath the day before, it is possible that he might have followed
Emily, and by some means or other got possession of the child--perhaps
have carried the aunt and her nephew off abroad. That there was foul
play no one doubted. Young Mrs Stafford was as much in the dark as
anyone; she had not heard from Emily, nor had she been aware of her
intention of leaving Bath. Living so completely out of the world as she
did, it was not till some time after that she heard her child and
sister-in-law were missing. When the account of the loss of the _Royal
George_ reached her, she knew that it was the ship aboard which her
husband was serving, and she was for some days left in doubt whether he
was among the many who perished or the few which escaped. In vain she
waited to hear from him; at last she saw his name among the list of
those who were lost. It was a wonder that she did not sink under her
misfortunes, and she would probably have done so had she not undertaken
the sacred task of watching over her invalid father. Another strange
circumstance occurred: Biddulph Stafford, who knew all along where she
was living, unexpectedly called on her, and expressed the greatest
sympathy with her at the loss of her husband, and offered to assist her
in obtaining a portion of the subscriptions