Mrs. Hayes hit upon an expedient which， I am given to understand， is not uncommon nowadays. She suddenly discovered that she had a dear brother， who had been obliged to fly the country in consequence of having joined the Pretender， and had died in France， leaving behind him an only son. This boy her brother had， with his last breath， recommended to her protection， and had confided him to the charge of a brother officer who was now in the country， and would speedily make his appearance； and， to put the story beyond a doubt， Mr. Wood wrote the letter from her brother stating all these particulars， and Ensign Macshane received full instructions how to perform the part of the "brother officer." What consideration Mr. Wood received for his services， we cannot say； only it is well known that Mr. Hayes caused to be committed to gaol a young apprentice in his service， charged with having broken open a cupboard in which Mr. Hayes had forty guineas in gold and silver， and to which nonebut he and his wife had access.
Having made these arrangements， the Corporal and his little party decamped to a short distance， and Mrs. Catherine was left to prepare her husband for a speedy addition to his family， in the shape of this darling nephew. John Hayes received the news with anything but pleasure. He had never heard of any brother of Catherine's； she had been bred at the workhouse， and nobody ever hinted that she had relatives： but it is easy for a lady of moderate genius to invent circumstances； and with lies， tears， threats， coaxings， oaths， and other blandishments， she compelled him to submit.
Two days afterwards， as Mr. Hayes was working in his shop with his lady seated beside him， the trampling of a horse was heard in his courtyard， and a gentleman， of huge stature， descended from it， and strode into the shop. His figure was wrapped in a large cloak； but Mr. Hayes could not help fancying that he had somewhere seen his face before.
"This， I preshoom，" said the gentleman， "is Misther Hayes， that I have come so many miles to see， and this is his amiable lady？ I was the most intimate frind， madam， of your laminted brother， who died in King Lewis's service， and whose last touching letthers I despatched to you two days ago. I have with me a further precious token of my dear friend， Captain Hall--it is HERE."And so saying， the military gentleman， with one arm， removed his cloak， and stretching forward the other into Hayes's face almost， stretched likewise forward a little boy， grinning and sprawling in the air， and prevented only from falling to the ground by the hold which the Ensign kept of the waistband of his little coat and breeches.
"Isn't he a pretty boy？" said Mrs. Hayes， sidling up to her husband tenderly， and pressing one of Mr. Hayes's hands.
About the lad's beauty it is needless to say what the carpenter thought； but that night， and for many many nights after， the lad stayed at Mr. Hayes's.
第一章ENUMERATES THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MASTER THOMAS BILLINGS--INTRODUCES BROCK AS DOCTOR WOOD--AND ANNOUNCES THE EXECUTION OF ENSIGN MACSHANE.
We are obliged， in recording this history， to follow accurately that great authority， the "Calendarium Newgaticum Roagorumque Registerium，" of which every lover of literature， in the present day knows the value； and as that remarkable work totally discards all the unities in its narratives， and reckons the life of its heroes only by their actions， and not by periods of time， we must follow in the wake of this mighty ark--a humble cock-boat. When it pauses， we pause； when it runs ten knots an hour， we run with the same celerity； and as， in order to carry the reader from the penultimate chapter of this work unto the last chapter， we were compelled to make him leap over a gap of seven blank years， ten years more must likewise be granted to us before we are at liberty to resume our history.