connected with our history.
A correspondence had been kept up between O'Donahue and McShane.
O'Donahue had succeeded in obtaining the pardon of the emperor, and
employment in the Russian army, in which he had rapidly risen to the
rank of general. Five or six years had elapsed since he had married,
and both O'Donahue and his wife were anxious to visit England; a letter
at last came, announcing that he had obtained leave of absence from the
emperor, and would in all probability arrive in the ensuing spring.

During this period McShane had continued at his old quarters, Mrs
McShane still carrying on the business, which every year became more
lucrative; so much so, indeed, that her husband had for some time
thought very seriously of retiring altogether, as they had already
amassed a large sum, when McShane received the letter from O'Donahue,
announcing that in a few months he would arrive in England. Major
McShane, who was very far from being satisfied with his negative
position in society, pressed the matter more earnestly to his wife, who,
although she was perfectly content with her own position, did not oppose
his entreaties. McShane found that after disposing of the goodwill of
the business, and of the house, they would have a clear 30,000 pounds,
which he considered more than enough for their wants, uncumbered as they
were with children.

Let it not be supposed that McShane had ceased in his inquiries after
our hero; on the contrary, he had resorted to all that his invention
could suggest to trace him out, but, as the reader must be aware,
without success. Both McShane and his wife mourned his loss, as if they
had been bereaved of their own child; they still indulged the idea that
some day he would reappear, but when, they could not surmise. McShane
had not only searched for our hero, but had traced his father with as
little success, and he had now made up his mind that he should see no
more of Joey, if he ever did see him again, until after the death of his
father, when there would no longer be any occasion for secrecy. Our
hero and his fate were a continual source of conversation between
McShane and his wife; but latterly, after not having heard of him for
more than five years, the subject had not been so often renewed. As
soon as McShane had wound up his affairs, and taken his leave of the
eating-house, he looked out for an estate in the country, resolving to
lay out two-thirds of his money in land, and lea