ing and twisting himself about, beating up the dust with
his boomerang, and generally exciting poor old nurse's disgust.

"Mother!" I cried; and making an effort she stood up erect and proud.

"Mr Grant," she exclaimed, "do you mean what you say?"

"Most decidedly, my dear madam," said the doctor. "I should be unworthy
of the professor's friendship, and the charge he gave me to watch over
you in his absence, if I did not go."

"But your practice?"

"What is that, trifling as it is, to going to the help of him who gave
me his when I came out to the colony a poor and friendless man?"

"Thank you, doctor," she said, laying her hand in his.

"And I go the more willingly," he said smiling, "because I know it will
be the best prescription for your case. It will bring you back your
health."

"But, doctor--"

"Don't say another word," he cried. "Why, my dear Mrs Carstairs, it is
five years since I have had anything even approaching a holiday. This
will be a splendid opportunity; and I can take care of Joe here, and he
can take care of me."

"That I will--if I can," I cried.

"I know you will, Joe," he said. "And we'll bring back the professor
with all his collection of new plants for that London firm, on condition
that something fresh with a big red and yellow blossom is named after
me--lay the Scarlet Grantii, or the Yellow Unluckii in honour of my
non-success."

"You're never going to let him start, Miss Eleanor?" cried nurse.

"Would you have me stand between my son and his duty, nurse?" cried my
mother, flushing.

"Dearie me, no," sighed the old lady; "only it do seem such a wild-goose
chase. There'll be no one to take care of us, and that dreadful black,
Jimmy"--nurse always said his name with a sort of disrelish--"will be
hanging about here all the time."

"Iss, dat's him, Jimmy, Jimmy, here Jimmy go. Hi--wup--wup--wup, Jimmy
go too."

"Nonsense, Jimmy!" I said; "I'm going to New Guinea to seek my father."

"Iss. Hi--wup--wup--wup, Jimmy going to look for his fader."

"Why, you said he was dead," I cried.

"Iss, Jimmy fader dead, little pickaninny boy; Jimmy go look for him,
find him dere."

"Be quiet," I said, for the black was indulging in a kind of war-dance;
"you don't understand. I'm going across the sea to find my father."

"Dat him. Jimmy want go 'cross sea find him fader bad. Hi! want go
there long time."

"Why, you never heard of the place before," I said.

"No, never he