this gentleman's portmanteau upstairs, and get a bath ready
for him at once, and lay out a suit of white clothes for him.

"We always have a bath before dinner in this country," he said to Frank;
"one wants to get rid of the dust of the day. Dinner will be ready in
half an hour."

After enjoying a luxurious bath, and attiring himself in a suit of
snowy-white gear, Frank descended to the dining-room.

Mr. Willcox was a widower, without children, and they therefore dined
alone. As they were sitting over their wine after dinner in the
verandah, Frank's host said, "I do not wish to be inquisitive, but if
you don't mind telling me, I should like to know why a young fellow
like yourself should embark upon a life of adventure."

Frank had met with such kindness from his employer, that he frankly told
him the whole history of the events which had driven him from England.

"It is a singular story," the trader said, "and I own that appearances
were against you. Of course I don't know him, and may be misjudge him
altogether, but the only person who appears to me to have had any
interest whatever in getting you into disgrace, and causing you to leave
the country, is your cousin."

"Fred Barkley," Frank exclaimed, in surprise; "I can assure you such an
idea never entered my mind; he is not at all a bad fellow, though
certainly he is not popular at School."

"I should prefer taking the general verdict of the School to yours," the
trader said; "boys are seldom far out in their estimate of persons; they
have more instinct than men, and a boy is seldom far wrong in his
estimate of character.

"The fact that he is generally unpopular is, in my mind, a proof that
there is something wrong about this cousin of yours. Then what you tell
me, that he refused to lend you the money which would have got you out
of your scrape, while he afterwards came forward with twenty pounds to
enable you to get away, is another strong point. The advice which he
gave you was distinctly bad; for you had much better have remained, and
to the last have protested your innocence. Then there is another point.
Did I gather from your words that you and he are the nearest relations
to the wealthy uncle with whom you lived?"

"Yes, that is so," Frank replied.

"Then, in case of your disgrace, it is by no means improbable that your
uncle will leave him the whole of the money. Is that so?

"I have no doubt of it," Frank assented.

"Then you see he has a ver