I have, I may say,
already made up my mind not to do, buy an estate. I have had very
much more than my share of adventures, and have marvellously
escaped. If I return, my luck might change.

"At any rate, I have had enough of it. I have made a very handsome
fortune and, even putting everything else aside, would rather know
that I owed all I possessed to my own good luck and exertions, than
to an accident of birth."

"But that cannot be, lad."

"Well, uncle," Harry said obstinately, "if you choose to see things
in that light, all I can say is, that I shall at once throw up my
leave and return to India; and if you choose to leave this house
and estate, it may go to wreck and ruin for anything I care."

"Well, well, my boy, we won't say anything more about it, now, but
will leave it to the lawyers to settle."

"I shall certainly employ no lawyers in the matter, uncle. By all
means, obtain your solicitor's opinion as to whether the proofs I
have put in your hands are sufficient to establish, beyond all fear
of doubt, the fact that I am the son of Major Harry Lindsay. It
matters not whether my father was your elder brother or not, to
anyone except ourselves. I am perfectly satisfied with having
proved, to the satisfaction of all in India, that I am the son of a
brave officer. My object in coming to England was not to see
whether I was entitled to money, but simply to find friends among
the families of my father and mother; and if it were to end in my
turning you, my aunt, and cousin out of the place you have believed
to be your own, for so many years, my visit here would be a dismal
failure, and I should bitterly regret having set foot in England.

"Please do not let us say anything more about it. The matter, so
far as I am concerned, is concluded; and nothing that can possibly
be said will shake my determination, in any way."

In order to break the silence, for Mrs. Lindsay and Mary were both
wiping their eyes, Harry went on:

"Now that we have finished this question, uncle, I will tell you
how I got the ratification of the treaty, that will some day be
made for our occupation of Singapore, from the Rajah of Johore. As
far as the excitement went, it certainly was the most stirring
business that I was ever employed in;" and he at once launched into
the narrative of his capture, the escape, the adventure with the
tiger, and the defence of Johore.

"It seems to me, Harry," his uncle said, when he had finished,
"th