been constantly snubbed by Mr Denham for
many years past--he felt overjoyed at the prospect of a new era opening
up before him.

"Well, what shall we send to Mr Clelland?" pursued Guy. Mr Crumps,
unable all at once to get over old habits and associations, suggested
fifty pounds, timidly.

"The district is a poor one," said Guy; "perhaps, that being the case--"

"Say a hundred," put in Crumps eagerly (and then, in a partially
apologetic tone), "the business can afford it, my dear sir. Heaven
knows it is but little that--"

The old man's voice faltered and stopped. He was going to have made a
remark that would have cast a slur on the character of his late partner,
so he checked himself and sighed.

"Well, then, it shall be a hundred," said Guy, jotting down the sum on a
slip of paper. "I would not advise more to be given to that particular
district just now, because it might tend to check the efforts of the
people on the spot. If they fail to raise the requisite sum, we can
then give what is necessary. Now, there is an urgent appeal for funds
being made just now to the public by the Lifeboat Institution. I think
this a good opportunity to give away some of the cash which ought to
have been--"

Guy hesitated. He too was about to make a remark that would have been
unfavourable to the character of his late uncle, so he checked himself.

"What do you say to giving them a thousand pounds?"

Mr Crumps said nothing to it. He was too much taken aback to say
anything; but when he saw that Guy had jotted the sum down, and was
apparently in earnest, he nodded his head, blew his nose violently, for
a man of his years and character, and chuckled.

"Well, then," continued Guy, "there is another subject which occurs to
me just now, although it does not come under the head of charities. I
wish to supply a ship's lifeboat to every vessel that belongs to us, and
a set of life-belts, besides other things. I estimate that this will
require a sum of nearly two thousand pounds. Let me see--"

Here Guy began to jot and calculate, and to talk to himself in an
undertone, while Mr Crumps, utterly bereft of speech, sat staring in
amazement and delight at his young partner.

While they were thus engaged, the tiger in blue who had supplanted
Peekins entered, and said that three gentlemen wished to see Mr Foster.

"Show them in," said Guy. "Sit still, Mr Crumps, I have not yet done
with my calculations."

In a few seconds