on of our business is a ready-money one and although, of late,
we have been dealing more with native local firms instead of
selling direct from our own stores, the amounts are never large
and, so far, we have never lost a penny. Of course, I shall let you
know, by every mail, how things are going on at all our depots; and
you will then be able to form an estimate as to the amount of goods
you will have to despatch to each--sending them direct, of course,
if there happens to be a ship going.

"But all these things, of course, we shall go into, at length,
before you start for England."

"Did you go down to Harry's place?"

"Yes, I stopped there a week. Your sister seems perfectly happy,
and plays the part of queen of the county admirably. The four
youngsters are jolly little things. As to your mother, you will
find very little change in her. I really don't think that she looks
a day older than when we saw her off, at Calcutta, something like
ten years ago. Of course, then she was cut up with her loss; but
quiet and comfort have agreed with her, and the climate is a good
deal less trying than it is out here. At any rate, I should not
take her for a day over forty, and she is something like five years
older than that."

Three months later, Stanley sailed for England. There was the same
argument between him and Meinik that there had been when Stanley
first left Rangoon, but this time it terminated differently.

"You would be out of your element in England, Meinik. Of course, my
life there will be very different from what it is here. I shall go
away from home to business, every morning, and not get back until
perhaps seven o' clock in the evening. As a consequence, there
would be nothing for you to do for me, and we should see very
little of each other. You know I should like to have you with me,
and would do all that I could to make you comfortable; but I am
sure that you would not like the life. Here you have always been on
the move, and there is always something for you to do, and think
of.

"I have spoken to my uncle about you, and he will be glad to
appoint you to the position of purchaser, for our house, of teak
and other native products in these provinces. Besides being buyer,
you would go up the country, and see to the felling and getting the
timber down to the coast, as you have often done before. He knows
how absolutely I trust you, and how much you have done for me, and
he said that he should be very glad