ng home, when you get this letter, I declare that I would put
off the marriage for a month or so, so that you should be here in
time; but as I feel sure that you won't do anything of the sort, it
will be of no use for me to make such a noble sacrifice."

Stanley had received the news that he was gazetted brevet-major, a
month after he was promoted to the rank of captain, and two months
before his name appeared as having retired from the army. He
derived, as he expected, much benefit from his connection with the
army in his position at his three receiving ports, as it placed him
on a very pleasant footing with the military and civil officials;
and it rendered his occasional visits to Calcutta and Madras
exceedingly pleasant, for in both towns he found many officers
whose acquaintance he had made, during the expedition. He was
always made an honorary member of the messes and clubs, during his
stays there.

The business grew rapidly. The work of the earlier years had so
well paved the way for larger operations that they were able to
more than hold their own against other traders who, after the
troubles were at an end, sought to establish themselves at various
points on the western coast of the peninsula; and after six more
years of hard and continuous work, the business came to be a very
large and important one.

"I think it more than probable," Stanley wrote to his mother, "that
before very long I shall be returning home. My uncle spoke about
it, the last time that I saw him; and said that we were outgrowing
Calcutta, and ought to establish ourselves in London.

"'We can hold on a bit longer,' he said, 'but we must come to that,
sooner or later and, when it does, you must be the one to go to
England and take charge. I may go home before that for a few
months, but I have no wish or desire to stop there. We have now got
a good staff; and I shall probably fix myself, permanently, at
Calcutta.'"

Two years later Tom Pearson, on his return from England, brought
back a wife with him, and established himself at Calcutta. Stanley
joined him there, three weeks after his return. They had a long
talk together, that evening.

"I see, Stanley," his uncle said, "that things have gone on
improving, since I have been away; and that our turnover last year
was 150,000 pounds, and the profits close upon 15,000 pounds. I
think, now, that it is high time we opened a place in London. We
have almost a monopoly of the teak trade, in Bur