of which he continued not only to keep
our hopes alive, as to the destination of his wealth, but to increase
them; so that I--for the bulk of his fortune, there was no doubt, was
intended for me--was already looked upon as a singularly lucky young
dog; and of this opinion, in the most unqualified sense, and in a most
especial manner, was my mother, my nurse, and the lady who ushered me
into the world--all of whom exultingly referred to my caul, and to their
own oft-expressed sentiments regarding the luck that was to befall me.

But, to return to my story. After a lapse of about two or three years,
during which, as I have said, we received many letters from our worthy
relative, one came, in which he informed us that it was the last we
should have from him from Jamaica, as he had wound up all his affairs,
and was about to leave the island, to return home and spend the
remainder of his days with us, or in our immediate neighbourhood.

Well, gentlemen, you see matters were gradually approaching to a very
delightful crisis; and we, as you may believe, saw it with no small
satisfaction. We indulged in the most delicious dreams; indeed, our
whole life was now one continued reverie of the most soothing and balmy
kind. From this dreamy state, however, we were very soon awakened by the
following paragraph in a newspaper, which my father accidentally
stumbled on, one morning as we were at breakfast. It was headed
"Dreadful Shipwreck," and went on thus:--"It is with feelings of the
most sincere regret we inform our readers, that the Isabella, from
Jamaica to London, has foundered at sea, and every one on board
perished, together with the whole of a most valuable cargo. Amongst the
unfortunate passengers in this ill-fated vessel was a Mr. Jeremiah
Hairsplitter, a well-known Jamaica planter, who was on his return, for
good and all, to his native land. The whole of this gentleman's wealth,
which was enormous, will now go, it is said (he having died intestate),
to a poor man in this neighbourhood [Liverpool], who is nearest of kin."

Well, gentlemen (continued the little hump-backed man in the bright
yellow waistcoat), here was a pretty finish to all our bright
anticipations! For some time, indeed, we entertained hopes that the
reports, especially the last, might be false; but, alas! they turned out
too true. True, true were they, to the letter. My father, unwilling to
believe that all was lost, called upon a lawyer in the town where