n made by Cairene cabinet-makers, and along the
cornices of the book-cases were texts from the Koran, while every chair
bore the Arabic for "Welcome" in a gilded firework on its leather back;
the lamp was a perforated mosque lantern with long pendent glass tubes
like hyacinth glasses; a mummy-case smiled from a corner with laboured
_bonhomie_.

"Well," began the Professor, as soon as they were seated, "so I was not
mistaken--there was something in the brass bottle after all, then? Let's
have a look at it, whatever it is."

For the moment Horace had almost forgotten the bottle. "Oh!" he said,
"I--I got it open; but there was nothing in it."

"Just as I anticipated, sir," said the Professor. "I told you there
couldn't be anything in a bottle of that description; it was simply
throwing money away to buy it."

"I dare say it was, but I wished to speak to you on a much more
important matter;" and Horace briefly explained his object.

"Dear me," said the Professor, rubbing up his hair irritably, "dear me!
I'd no idea of this--no idea at all. I was under the impression that you
volunteered to act as escort to my wife and daughter at St. Luc purely
out of good nature to relieve me from what--to a man of my habits in
that extreme heat--would have been an arduous and distasteful duty."

"I was not wholly unselfish, I admit," said Horace. "I fell in love with
your daughter, sir, the first day I met her--only I felt I had no right,
as a poor man with no prospects, to speak to her or you at that time."

"A very creditable feeling--but I've yet to learn why you should have
overcome it."

So, for the third time, Ventimore told the story of the sudden turn in
his fortunes.

"I know this Mr. Samuel Wackerbath by name," said the Professor; "one of
the chief partners in the firm of Akers and Coverdale, the great estate
agents--a most influential man, if you can only succeed in satisfying
him."

"Oh, I don't feel any misgivings about that, sir," said Horace. "I mean
to build him a house that will be beyond his wildest expectations, and
you see that in a year I shall have earned several thousands, and I need
not say that I will make any settlement you think proper when I
marry----"

"When you are in possession of those thousands," remarked the Professor,
dryly, "it will be time enough to talk of marrying and making
settlements. Meanwhile, if you and Sylvia choose to consider yourselves
engaged, I won't object--only I must insi