treams that covered the whole country, and
enabled him to carry his goods at a far cheaper rate than he could
transport them by land; and for this purpose he had a boat
specially fitted up with a comfortable cabin. He determined, from
the first, to sell none but the best goods in the market; and thus
he speedily gained the confidence of the natives, and the arrival
of his boats was eagerly hailed by the villagers on the banks of
the rivers.

He soon found that money was scarce; and that, to do a good
business, he must take native products in barter for his goods; and
that in this way he not only did a much larger trade, but obtained
a very much better price for his wares than if he had sold only for
money; and he soon consigned considerable quantities to the firm in
Calcutta and, by so doing, obtained a profit both ways. He himself
paid a visit to Calcutta, every six months or so, to choose fresh
fashions of goods; and to visit the firm, with whom his dealings,
every year, became more extensive. But, though laying the
foundations for an extensive business, he was not, as he told his
sister, at present in a position to help her; for his increasing
trade continually demanded more and more capital, and the whole of
his profits were swallowed up by the larger stocks that had to be
held at his depots at Sylhet, Chittagong, and at the mouths of the
larger rivers.

Twice since he had been out he had met his sister at Calcutta, and
when she came down after her husband's death, and heard from Tom's
agents that he would probably arrive there in the course of a
fortnight, she decided to wait there and meet him. He was greatly
grieved at her loss, and especially so as he was unable to offer
her a home; for as his whole time was spent in travelling, it was
impossible for him to do so; nor indeed, would she have accepted
it. Now that her husband was gone, she yearned to be back in
England again. It was, too, far better for the girls that she
should take them home. But when he now offered to take the boy she
felt that, hard as it would be to leave Stanley behind, the offer
was a most advantageous one for him.

The boy's knowledge of Indian languages, which would be of immense
advantage to him in such a life, would be absolutely useless in
England and, from what Tom told her of his business, there could be
little doubt that the prospects were excellent. Stanley himself,
who now saw his uncle for the first time, was attracted to hi