side!'

'I like it,' said Mary; 'it shows--'

'What you are worth, eh, Mary? Well! here we are! It seems real at
last! And you, father, have you been well?'

'Yes, well indeed, now I have you both! But how came you so quickly?
You never brought her across the Isthmus?'

'Indeed I did. She would come. It was her first act of rebellion; for
we were not going to let you meet the frosts alone--the October frosts,
I mean; I hope the Dynevor Frosts are all right?'

Frampton was here seen at the open door, doubtful whether to intrude;
yet, impelled by necessity, as he caught Fitzjocelyn's eye, he,
hesitating, said--

'My Lord, the Spanish gentleman!'

'The greatest triumph of my life!' cried Louis, actually clapping his
hands together with ecstacy, to the butler's extreme astonishment.

'Why, Frampton, don't you know him?'

'My Lord!!!'

'Let me introduce you, then, to--Mr. Thomas Madison!' and, as Frampton
still stood perplexed, looking at the fine, foreign-looking man, who
was keeping in the background, busied with the luggage, Louis
continued, 'You cannot credit such a marvel of Peru!'

'Young Madison, my Lord!' repeated Frampton, slowly coming to his
senses.

'No other. He has done Lady Fitzjocelyn and all of us infinite
service,' continued Louis, quickly, to prevent Madison's reception from
receiving a fall in proportion to the grandeur of the first impression.
'He is to stay here for a short time before going to his appointment at
Bristol, in Mr. Ward's counting-house, with a salary of 180 pounds. I
shall be much obliged if you will make him welcome.'

And, returning in his glee to the library, Louis found Mary explaining
how 'a gentleman at Lima,' who had long professed to covet so good a
clerk as Madison, had, on the break-up of their firm, offered him a
confidential post, for which he was well fitted by his knowledge of the
Spanish language and the South American trade, to receive the cargoes
sent home. 'In truth,' said Louis, coming in, 'I had reason to be
proud of my pupil. We could never have found our way through the
accounts without him; and the old Cornish man, whom we sent for from
the mines, gave testimony to him such as will do Mr. Holdsworth's heart
good. But nothing is equal to Frampton's taking him for a Spanish Don!'

'And poor Delaford's witness was quite as much to his credit,' said
Mary.

'Ay! if Delaford had not been equally willing to depose against him
when he was the a