 are so.
H. HANDFORD.

LETTER XLVIII. Mr. STAMFORD to Mr. MAITLAND.
My dear Friend,
I RECEIVED your favour, by which I have the pleasure to observe that your son's health is much improved. The natural consequence is that I expect your company in a few days. Perhaps this letter may be too late to find you in Warwickshire, but the news I have to communicate is too important to suffer any delay in sending it to you. In short, your strong box is found, and is, now, in my custody. You will receive, inclosed, an inventory of its contents, which, I hope, on comparison with your accounts, will not appear, considerably,

deficient. The manner of its recovery was as follows.
I INFORMED you, in my last, that Mr. Hilkirk, or, more properly, Mr. Seldon, junior, had apprehended your late servant, Stokes. He arrived here yesterday, under the conduct of a Mr. Turnbull; Mr. Hilkirk being prevented from coming up on account of his situation as manager of the company of players, which he cannot quit on the instant, without doing irreparable damage to the concern.
BY Stokes's direction, a party of Sir John Fielding's men were dispatched to a house in Duke's-Place, where, after a strict search, your box was found. It appears, by his confession, that he was connected with a gang of those villains who use their utmost endeavours to gain

intelligence, by the means of servants, of the property in any house they are desirous of pillaging. He was but too capable of affording them that information, and, as the number of your people prevented their attempting to break into Maitland-hall, they contrived to set it on fire. We all know the success of their attempt, and, it is to be hoped, the reward will follow; such methods being, now, set on foot, as promise to bring the offenders within the reach of justice.
THE whole story being long, I shall defer it till your arrival, and, in the interim, have another piece of business to communicate, which gives me some pain, though, I am assured, you know me too well to suppose me actuated by any motives but those of the strictest integrity and regard for you.

I DARE say you are surprized at this preamble, and, I am convinced, it is unnecessary; therefore, without more words, you are to know, that it is impossible for our children to be
