Among the reasons which made Mrs. Cliff very glad to remain at Plainton
was one of paramount importance. She was now engaged in a great work
which satisfied all her aspirations and desires to make herself able to
worthily and conscientiously cope with her income.

When, after the party on the _Summer Shelter_ had separated at New York,
and the ex-members of the Synod had gone to their homes, Mrs. Cliff and
her party, which included Shirley as well as Captain Horn and his wife,
had reached Plainton, their minds were greatly occupied with the
subject of the loss of the Peruvians' share of the Incas' treasures. It
was delightful for Mrs. Cliff and Willy to reach again their charming
home, and their friends were filled with a pleasure which they could
scarcely express to see and enjoy the beauties and the comforts with
which Mrs. Cliff had surrounded herself; but there was still upon them
all the shadow of that great misfortune which had happened off the
eastern coast of South America.

News came to them of what had been said and done in London, and of what
had been said and done, not only in Peru, but in other states of South
America in regard to the loss of the treasure, but nothing was said of
done in any quarter which tended to invalidate their right to the share
of the gold which had been adjudged to them. The portion of the treasure
allotted to the Peruvian government had been duly delivered to its
agents, and it was the fault of those agents, acting under the feverish
orders of their superiors, which had been the reason of its injudicious
and hasty transportation and consequent loss.

But although the ownership of the treasure which was now in the safe
possession of those to whom it had been adjudged was not considered a
matter to be questioned or discussed, Mrs. Cliff was not satisfied with
the case as it stood, and her dissatisfaction rapidly spread to the
other members of the party. It pained her to think that the native
Peruvians, those who might be considered the descendants of the Incas,
would now derive no benefit from the discovery of the treasure of their
ancestors, and she announced her intention to devote a portion of her
wealth to the interests and advantage of these natives.

Captain Horn was much impressed with this idea, and agreed that if Mrs.
Cliff would take the management of the enterprise into her own hands, he
would contribute largely to any plan which she might adopt for the
benefit of th