Returned to Glasgow. On a later voyage, he proceeded at once to Mrs. Taylor’s house, and was struck at the happy appearance of his sister-in-law, who, when she recognized him, became quite alarmed and was near fainting. When Mr. Taylor, who was struck for a moment also, regained his self-possession, he allowed poor George to tell his sad story, both listening with interest. But when he related how his wife had died and he had at last found his child--Alice broke out, “She is not dead! She is not dead, George! We had a letter only a week ago. She is in Paris.” George Fairfield was thunderstruck at this revelation. Alice brought the letter, which he saw was from his Agnes. But how could be this mistake with the deceased lady in the convent and the child,--whose child was it! Agnes wrote to her sister that she had intended travelling with the Southern family to the Continent. When on the oceans the Franco-Prussian war was declared. They had to stop at Southampton and, instead of going to Germany, they went to the South of France, and, as she had no letters from me for some time, she was almost beside herself. The Southern lady being in such delicate state of health she could not think of leaving her, but had to accompany her. All letters sent from or sent to France were carefully inspected by the Government, and thus it happened that I had not received any communication for a long time. She had at last expected that her letters had gone astray, then she had written to her sister, Mrs. Taylor, asking her to write to me and try to obtain in this way information about her boy. Captain Fairfield would have liked to start at once in search of his darling wife, but Mr. Taylor, who saw the danger for him in going to France at this time, prevented him from acting rashly, also fearing that the sudden shock to Agnes in seeing her husband whom she had bemoaned so long would be of great injury to her health, so it was decided that Alice should write first, saying in her letter that there were some hopes of Captain Fairfield being alive. The next mail should bring a letter from the Captain himself to his wife. Both letters were duly posted, but when the steamer on which George Fairfield was mate was ready to sail again no answer had been received from, France, and George had to cross the ocean again. Having received my address from Mrs. Taylor he intended to come and see me on his arrival in this port, and this time he was more fortunate: the ship made a quick voyage, and as Mrs. Taylor had written to me by a previous steamer, informing me of all these strange incidents, I looked out for him.