e Peruvians. Edna, who now held a large portion of the
treasure in her own right, insisted upon being allowed to contribute her
share to this object, and Burke and Shirley declared that they would
become partners, according to their means, in the good work.

There was, of course, a great deal of talk and discussion in regard to
the best way of using the very large amount of money which had been
contributed by the various members of the party, but before Captain Horn
and his wife left Plainton everything was arranged, and Mrs. Cliff found
herself at the head of an important and well-endowed private mission to
the native inhabitants of Peru. She did not make immediately a definite
plan of action, but her first steps in the direction of her great object
showed that she was a woman well qualified to organize and carry on the
great work in the cause of civilization and enlightenment which she had
undertaken. She engaged the Reverend Mr. Hodgson and the Reverend Mr.
Litchfield, both young men whose dispositions led them to prefer earnest
work in new and foreign lands to the ordinary labors of a domestic
parish, to go to Peru to survey the scene of the proposed work, and to
report what, in their opinion, ought to be done and how it should be
undertaken.

Mrs. Cliff, now in the very maturity of her mental and physical powers,
felt that this great work was the most congenial task that she could
possibly have undertaken, and her future life now seemed open before her
in a series of worthy endeavors in which her conscientious feelings in
regard to her responsibilities, and her desire to benefit her
fellow-beings should be fully satisfied. As to her fellow-workers and
those of her friends who thoroughly comprehended the nature of the case,
there was a general belief that those inhabitants of Peru who were
rightfully entitled to the benefits of the discovered treasure, would,
under her management and direction of the funds in her hands, receive
far more good and advantage than they could possibly have expected had
the treasure gone to the Peruvian government. In fact, there were those
who said that had the _Dunkery Beacon_ safely arrived in the port of
Callao, the whole of the continent of South America might have been
disturbed and disrupted by the immense over-balance of wealth thrown
into the treasury of one of its states.

It is true that Mrs. Cliff's plans and purposes did not entirely pass
without criticism. "It's all very w