ather weak nature, true and
steadfast in his dealings with others, and quite capable of holding his
own as long as he kept in a certain groove; but for a man he was
strangely uncertain and distrustful of himself, and one who always
found it easier to take advice than to give it.

Gwen had a restless night. Her head was full of plans, and when the
next morning there was a stir outside the house, and she was told that
a 'strange gentleman and lady' had arrived, she was quite enough versed
in colonial ways to show no surprise when she went out upon the
verandah and greeted 'Mr. and Mrs. Montmorency.'

Walter was a capital host, and was genuinely pleased to see any friends
of his sister. And Gwen felt that fortune had indeed favoured her, and
sent to her aid the very one who could help best at this crisis.

Mr. Montmorency inspired most people with confidence, and it was not
long before he was deep in discussions of the country with Walter,
telling him many valuable facts about agriculture that had come under
his own observation, and from that drifting on to talk of the mineral
wealth that had as yet hardly been touched.

He remembered the gold rush in Northern California, and prophesied the
same would take place in the part they were in. Walter listened, but
said little, and even when Mr. Montmorency went on to unfold a scheme
of his shortly to be put into project, he showed little interest.

'It is very well for men of means to venture on such undertakings. It
wants capital, and there are few about here who would risk their
hardly-earned savings on a speculation which might fail.'

Then Gwen, with her clear head and quick brain, took the matter up.
Even bright little Mrs. Montmorency could talk well on the subject, and
for the next few days little else was mentioned but a certain region a
few hundreds of miles away, where Mr. Montmorency intended to begin
operations, and where he had already found proof enough of the
existence of gold to make it worth his while to start a company and set
to work in earnest.

The next mail that left for England contained the following letter from
Gwen to Agatha;--

'DEAREST AGATHA,--

'This is purely a business letter, and a very important one. I have
told you all about Walter and his surroundings already, so will not go
into that again. Mr. Montmorency has been staying with us. He is a
clever, able man, very well connected, a nephew of Lord D----, and has
spent most of