but only that you will write to
her an affectionate letter. She is without friends, and will fight her
battle as best she can. She is a woman in a thousand, and worthy of the
affection and esteem of any man on earth.

"There is a boy, too--another Gregory Hilliard Hartley. She will be
alone in the world with him, and a letter from you would be very
precious to her. Probably, by the same post as you receive this, our
father will also get one requesting more substantial assistance, but
with that you have nothing to do. I am only asking that you will let
her know there are, at least, two people in the world who take an
interest in her, and my boy.

"Your affectionate Brother."

There was yet another envelope, with no address upon it. It contained
two documents. One was a copy of the certificate of marriage, between
Gregory Hilliard Hartley and Anne Forsyth, at Saint Paul's Church,
Plymouth; with the names of two witnesses, and the signature of the
officiating minister. The other was a copy of the register of the
birth, at Alexandria, of Gregory Hilliard, son of Gregory Hilliard
Hartley and Anne, his wife. A third was a copy of the register of
baptism of Gregory Hilliard Hartley, the son of Gregory Hilliard and
Anne Hartley, at the Protestant Church, Alexandria.

"I will write, someday, to my aunts," Gregory said, as he replaced the
letters in the envelopes. "The others will never go. Still, I may as
well keep them.

"So I am either grandson or nephew of an earl. I can't say that I am
dazzled by the honour. I should like to know my aunts, but as for the
other two, I would not go across the street to make their
acquaintance."

He carefully stowed the letters away in his portmanteau, and then lay
down for a few hours' sleep.

"The day is breaking, master," Zaki said, laying his hand upon
Gregory's shoulder.

"All right, Zaki! While you get the water boiling, I shall run down to
the river and have a bathe, and shall be ready for my cocoa, in twenty
minutes."

"Are we going to put on those Dervish dresses at once, master? They
came yesterday evening."

"No; I sha'n't change till we get to the place where we land."

As soon as he had breakfasted, he told Zaki to carry his portmanteau,
bed, and other belongings to the house that served as a store for
General Hunter's staff. He waited until his return, and then told him
to take the two rifles, the packets of ammunition, the spears, and the
Dervish dresses down to t