who had been
already too long imposed upon them. But he felt that this was an unjust
view, and that however they might now be confident that Rupert was their
son and heir they still cherished an affection towards him. "However,"
he said, "this will make no difference to me. The die is cast, and I
cannot go back now. Still I shall be happier than I was before. Then I
considered that I had been an impostor who had received affection and
care and kindness to which I had no shadow of right. Now I know that
this is not so, and that it is just as likely that I am their son as it
is that Rupert is; and I stay away for my own choice, and because,
having made them believe that Rupert was their son, I am not going to
disturb and make them unhappy again by showing them that this was a
mistake, and that everything is as unsettled as before.

"I told them that they would never hear of me until I had made my own
way, and I shall stick to that. Who would have thought of meeting Rupert
here? It has been a great piece of luck for him getting out here as
General Stewart's aide-de-camp, but I know the general is a friend of my
father, and that accounts for it. Perhaps this sergeant is my father. I
did not seem to mind the thought before. I did not even know whether he
was alive, and never really faced it; and yet, if Sergeant Bowen is to
be my father, he is as good as another. He seems a fine fellow, and has
had no hand in this fraud. I ought, indeed, to think myself lucky; for
he is steady and respectable, a good soldier, and I can see liked by the
officers as well as the men. It was curious that he should have taken a
fancy to me.

"Still it does go against the grain, though I can see he has no
intention of claiming me openly as his son. If he had, I think I should
have kicked against it; but as it is, I am sure we shall be very good
friends."

After drill was over next morning, and the camels had been seen to and
the men dismissed, Sergeant Bowen came up to him--

"Let us take another turn together, lad. I have been thinking a lot," he
went on when they were beyond the lines, "of our talk yesterday. Now,
lad, you have been brought up as a gentleman, and to consider yourself
as Captain Clinton's son; remember, I don't want you to think that I
expect you to make any change about that. I have done nothing for you as
a father; and whether I am your father or not you do not owe me
anything, and I want to tell you again that I don't exp