s'.[97] Here came the chance for Borrow. At this period there
resided at Oulton Hall, Suffolk, but a few miles from Norwich, a family
of the name of Skepper, Edward and Anne his wife, with their two
children, Breame and Mary. Mary married in 1817 one Henry Clarke, a
lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He died a few months afterwards of
consumption. Of this marriage there was a posthumous child, Henrietta
Mary, born but two months after her father's death. Mary Clarke, as she
now was, threw herself with zest into all the religious enthusiasms of
the locality, and the Rev. Francis Cunningham, Vicar of St. Margaret's,
Lowestoft, was one of her friends. Borrow had met Mary Clarke on one of
his visits to Lowestoft, and she had doubtless been impressed with his
fine presence, to say nothing of the intelligence and varied learning of
the young man. The following note, the first communication I can find
from Borrow to his future wife, indicates how matters stood at the time:

To Mrs. Clarke

ST. GILES, NORWICH, 22 _October 1832._

DEAR MADAM,--According to promise I transmit you a piece of
Oriental writing, namely the tale of Blue Beard, translated
into Turkish by myself. I wish it were in my power to send you
something more worthy of your acceptance, but I hope you will
not disdain the gift, insignificant though it be. Desiring to
be kindly remembered to Mr. and Mrs. Skepper and the remainder
of the family,--I remain, dear Madam, your most obedient humble
servant,

GEORGE BORROW.

That Borrow owed his introduction to Mr. Cunningham to Mrs. Clarke is
clear, although Cunningham, in his letter to the Bible Society urging
the claims of Borrow, refers to the fact that a 'young farmer' in the
neighbourhood had introduced him. This was probably her brother, Breame
Skepper. Dr. Knapp was of the opinion that Joseph John Gurney obtained
Borrow his appointment, but the recently published correspondence of
Borrow with the Bible Society makes it clear that Cunningham wrote--on
27th December 1832--recommending Borrow to the secretary, the Rev.
Andrew Brandram. How little he knew of Borrow is indicated by the fact
that he referred to him as 'independent in circumstances.' Brandram told
Caroline Fox many years afterwards that Gurney had effected the
introduction, but this was merely a lapse of memory. In fact we find
Borrow asking to be allowed to meet Gurney before his