ess and stranger as I am, I feel anxious to receive
your advice and assistance upon a matter of considerable--indeed of the
deepest--importance to an unfortunate and heart-broken lady, whose
only son, when but six years of age, and then heir to a large property,
disappeared many years ago in a manner so mysterious, that no trace,
until very recently, has ever been found of him. Nor, indeed, has she
found any clew to him yet, beyond a single intimation given to her by
her house-steward--a man named Corbet--who, on his death-bed, had merely
breath to say that 'your son lives, and that Sir Thomas--' These, sir,
were the man's last words; for, alas! unhappy for the peace of mind of
this excellent lady, he expired before he could complete the sentence,
or give her the information for which her heart yearned. Now, reverend
sir," he added, "I told you that it is out of my power, for more than
one reason, to disclose my name; but, I assure you, that the fact of
making this communication to you, which you perceive I do frankly and
without hesitation, is placing a confidence in you, though a personal
stranger to me, which I am certain you will respect."

"Me a stranger!" exclaimed the priest, "in my own parish where I have
lived curate and parish priest for close upon forty years; hut hut! this
is a good joke. Why, I tell you, sir, that there is not a dog in the
parish but knows me, with the exception of a vile cur belonging to Jemmy
M'Gurth, that I have striven to coax and conciliate a hundred ways,
and yet I never pass but he's out at me. Indeed, he's an ungrateful
creature, and a mane sconce besides; for I tell you, that when leaving
home, I have often put bread in my pocket, and on going past his owner's
house, I would throw it to him--now not a lie in this--and what do you
think the nasty vermin would do? He'd ait the bread, and after he had
made short work of it--for he's aquil to Mat Kuly in appetite--he'd
attack me as fresh, and indeed a great dale fresher in regard of what he
had got; ay, and with more bitterness, if possible, than ever. Now, sir,
I remember that greedy and ungrateful scrub of an animal about three
years ago; for indeed the ill feeling is going on between us for nearly
seven--I say I remember him in the dear year, when he wasn't able to
bark at me until he staggered over and put himself against the ditch on
the roadside, and then, heaven knows, worse execution of the kind was
never heard. However, there's