my bride directly. I can settle our family
affairs, which will be in about a month or six
weeks' time. Till that time, Maria wishes to
continue with my kindred. In concluding, if
I can at any time render you any service
whatsoever, I shall be most happy to oblige, as I
am truly sensible of your generosity."

On the 8th of September, a farmer named
Pryke drove Corder to Colchester. On the
road they talked, of farming, and of Maria, of
whom Corder spoke with great affection, but
said he had not seen her since May. That was
odd, too, for had he not told Mr. Mathews he had
seen her in August at Herlingbury, and Mrs.
Stow that he could see her any day he liked?
On the 17th September, Corder called at the
Martens', and told Mrs. Marten he was going
to the water-side for his health, and that he
should call at Yarmouth and bring Maria with
him to be married at Ipswich. On October
18th, Marten, the old mole-catcher of Polstead,
received a hearty, affectionate letter from
Corder, dated from the Bull Inn, Leadenhall-
street, London. He and Maria were married
at last. The letter began in the following way:

"Thomas Marten. I am just arrived at
London upon business respecting our family
affairs, and am writing to you before I take the
least refreshment, because I shall be in time
for this night's post, as my stay in town will be
short, anxious to return again to her who is
now my wife, and with whom I shall be the
happiest of men. I should have had her with
me, but it was her wish to stay at our lodging at
Newport, in the Isle of Wight, which she
described to you in her letter: and we feel
astonished that you have not yet answered it, thinking
illness must have been the cause. In that
she gave you a full description of our marriage,
and that Mr. Rowland was daddy, and Miss R.
bride's-maid. Likewise told you they came
with us as far as London, where we continued
together very comfortable for three days, when
we parted with the greatest regret. Maria and
myself went on to the Isle of Wight, and they
both returned home. I told Maria I should
write to you directly I reached London, who is
very anxious to hear from you, fearing some
strange reason is the cause of your not
writing."

Corder then expressed his intention of
immediately taking a farm in the Isle of Wight. The
letter concluded with the following sentence:

"I think you had better burn all letters,
after taking all directions, that nobody may
form the least idea of our residence. Adieu."

On the 23rd, Corder wrote again, in answer
to a letter from old Marten expressing surprise
at never having received Maria's letter. He
said:

"I have this day been to the General Post
Office, making inquiry about the letter Maria
wrote you on the 30th of September, which you
say never came to your hands. The clerk of
the office traced the books back to the day it
was wrote, and he said a letter, directed as I
told him to you, never came through their
office, which, I think, is very strange.
However, I am determined to find out how it was
lost, if possible; but I must think coming over
the water to Portsmouth, which I will
inquire about to-morrow, when I hope to find
out the mystery. It is, I think, very odd that
letters should be lost in this strange way. Was
it not for the discovery of our residence, I would
certainly indict the Post Office; but I cannot do
that without making our appearance at a court-
martial, which would be very unpleasant to us
both. You wish for us to come to Polstead,
which we should be very happy to do, but you
are not aware of the danger. You may depend,
if ever we fall into Mr. P.'s hands, the
consequence would prove fatal; therefore, should he
write to you, or should he come to Polstead,
you must tell him you have not the least
knowledge of us, but you think we are gone into
some foreign part."

The most remarkable sequel to these letters
was, that Corder never returned to the Isle of
Wight, in spite of ail his protests. A month,
later, Mr. Mathews ran against him by

accident near Somerset House. He said Maria
was at the Isle of Wight — they were not
married — he was waiting to settle his family affairs.
He had forwarded her the letter of Mr.
Mathews. Mathews then told him that Maria's
father was very uneasy about her, not knowing
where she was, and had written once or
twice to him, Mathews, about her. There was
a great entanglement of lies somewhere.

Very soon after this, in December, Corder
inserted the following hypocritical and impudent
advertisement in the Morning Herald:

"A private gentleman, aged twenty-four,
entirely independent, whose disposition is not to
be exceeded, has lately lost chief of his family
by the hand of Providence, which has
occasioned discord among the remainder, under
circumstances the most disagreeable to relate. To
any female of respectability, who would study
for domestic comfort, and is willing to confide
her future happiness to one in every way qualified
to render the marriage state desirable, as
the advertiser is in affluence. Many happy
marriages have taken place through means
similar to this now resorted to. It is hoped
no one will answer this through impertinent
curiosity; but should this meet the eye of
any agreeable lady, who feels desirous of meeting
with a sociable, tender, kind, and
sympathising companion, they will find this
advertisement worthy of notice. Honour and secresy
may be relied on. As some little security
against idle application, it is requisite that
letters may be addressed, post-paid, A. Z., care of
Mr. Foster, stationer, 68, Leadenhall-street,
with real name and address, which will meet
with most respectful attention."

Corder received fifty-three answers, some from
servants, others from distressed ladies of
ambiguous antecedents, dilating on their various
mental qualifications, their beauty, and their
favourable disposition to matrimony. One letter
was from a lady who, as he said, kept her