ceived her with more apparent gratitude than he used before to
exhibit, and willingly listened when she read to him. He was evidently
deeply interested in the account she gave him of the expedition in
search of Ned, as also when she repeated the information she had
received from Charley Meadows about Africa and the slave trade.

"Terrible, terrible," he muttered, "that men should sell each other for
gold and produce all this suffering, and yet--" he was silent and seemed
lost in thought. Mary did not for some minutes again speak. She then
continued--

"It is the duty of all who have the means to try and put a stop to this
fearful state of things, and to assist in sending missionaries of the
Gospel and artisans to teach Christianity to the poor blacks, and to
instruct them in the useful arts of civilised life."

"The Government should do that," said Mr Shank. "We pay them taxes."

"The Government do their part by sending out ships-of-war to stop the
dhows and the Arabs who steal the slaves, making the trade so difficult
and dangerous a one that many will be compelled to give it up--so uncle
says--and what more than that can the Government do? Private people
must carry on the rest of the work, and a more noble and glorious one I
am sure cannot be found. If I had ever so much money, I should like to
spend it in that way."

"But you would get no interest, you would see no result," said the old
man.

Mary pointed to the Bible she had brought, and from which she had
previously been reading. "There is a verse there which tells us that we
are to lay up riches in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal," she answered
in an unaffected tone. "I should not expect interest, and I am very
sure that I should be satisfied with the result."

The old man again mused, this time far longer than before. "And so you
want to make Christians and civilised men of those black Africans of
whom you spoke?" he observed.

"Yes; it is the only way to make them become happy here and happy
hereafter," she said, energetically. "I am sure of it. If all the
money that is hoarded up or spent uselessly were devoted to such a work,
how soon might the condition of the unfortunate negroes be changed for
the better."

"Then do you blame those who hoard up money?" asked the old man.

"Yes, indeed I do. I think they are wicked, very wicked, and are not
making a good use of the tale