up before her the carved steel box.

"My mother's jewel-case!" she exclaimed, with a look of intense
surprise.

"My--my wife's jewels!" stammered Mr Hazlit, in equal surprise;
"whereon earth--why--how--where--young man, did you find them?"

"I found them at the bottom of the sea," replied Edgar. "It is the
second time, strange to say, that I have had the pleasure of fishing
them up from that vast repository of riches where, I doubt not, many
another jewel-case still lies, and will continue to lie, unclaimed for
ever. Meanwhile, I count myself peculiarly fortunate in being the means
of restoring _this_ case to its rightful owner."

So saying he placed it in the hands of Aileen.

The captain, who had watched the whole scene with quiet interest and a
peculiar curl about his black moustache, as well as a twinkle in his
sharp black eye, uttered a short laugh, thrust his hands into his
pockets, and walked away to give the order that the steamer's head
should be laid precisely "sou', sou'-west, and by south, half-south,"
with a slight--almost a shadowy--leaning in the direction of
"southerly."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note 1. We may as well state here that our information on this subject
was obtained from Captain John Hewat, formerly in command of the steam
gun-boat _Rainbow_,--belonging to Sir James Brooke, K.C.B., Rajah of
Sarawak,--in which he had six years' experience of pirate-hunting in the
eastern seas, and now captain of one of Donald Currie and Company's
magnificent line of Cape steamers. Perhaps we ought to apologise for
thus dragging the gallant captain into fiction, but we trust he will
find that, in regard to his own particular doings, we have stuck pretty
closely to fact.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS, ENDING WITH A "SCRIMMAGE" UNDER WATER.

We are back again in Hong-Kong--in the pagoda--with our old friends
seated comfortably round their little table enjoying a good supper.

Pretty little Mrs Machowl has prepared it, and is now assisting at the
partaking of it. Young Master Teddy Machowl is similarly engaged on his
father's knee. The child has grown appallingly during its father's
absence! Ram-stam and Chok-foo are in waiting--gazing at each other
with the affection of Chinese lovers re-united.

"What a sight you are, Rooney!" said Mrs Machowl, pausing between bites
to look at her husband.

"Sure it's the same may be said