made an impression upon our worthy
shopkeeper, who communicated it to his wife; but she had taken a great
fancy to the odd old gentleman, and was not to be shaken in her
conviction that he would really be "as good as his word."

"Well," observed her husband, "time will show; and, at all events, it
was no bad thing to sell six pieces of fine linen at once. We don't
have such customers every day. However, the best thing we can do is,
to keep our own secret; for, if the neighbours were to hear of it, we
should never hear the last of it."

Mrs Wag agreed in the propriety of her spouse's suggestion; but,
nevertheless, was unable to refrain from dropping hints to sundry
gossips concerning her anticipations of coming good fortune; and the
vagueness and mysterious importance of her manner created a sensation,
and caused many strange surmises. Some decided that the Wags had been
so imprudent as to purchase a whole lottery ticket, and blamed them
accordingly; while others shook their heads, and hinted that, with so
large a family, it would be a very fortunate circumstance if Jeremiah
could manage so as not to go back in the world; and, for their parts,
they never liked to hear folks talk mysteriously about good luck: so,
for some time, the stranger's visit appeared to have produced results
somewhat the reverse of beneficial; but, at the end of a month, an
elderly gentleman, dressed in black, entered the shop, and requested a
private interview with Mr Wag; and as the back parlour was full of
little Wags, then undergoing the ceremonies of ablution, combing, &c.,
he proposed that they should adjourn to the King's Arms.

When they were seated there, the stranger very deliberately proceeded
to arrange a variety of papers upon the table in a business-like
manner; and when his task was completed, apparently to his
satisfaction, he smiled, rubbed his hands, and thus addressed the
wondering shopkeeper,

"My name is Stephen Goodfellow. I am an attorney, living in London;
and there" (handing a card) "is my address. You will probably guess
who is my client, but my instructions are to conceal his name. Well,
he has consulted with me as to the best mode of carrying your
intention of increasing your business into effect, and I have,
consequently, had interviews with certain commercial gentlemen, and,
ahem! the result is, that as the thing must be done gradually, I have
to present you, in the first place, with this order for a thousand
pou