last gave up speculating in despair.

In other respects, the new family were noted for kindliness and
urbanity. Mrs Stuart, especially, became an intimate friend of the
missionary who dwelt there, and one of his hardest-working parishioners.
Mr Stuart also became his friend; but the stern gravity of
countenance, and reserved, though perfectly well-bred and even kindly
manner of the stranger forbade close intimacy. He was a most regular
attender at church, not only on Sundays but at the weekly
prayer-meetings and occasional festivals, and the missionary noticed
that his Bible looked as if it were a well-thumbed one.

At first the two seamen, whom people soon found out, were named
respectively Jo and Dick, wrought in the wright's workshop, and at all
kinds of miscellaneous jobs; besides making frequent and sometimes long
voyages in their boat to the neighbouring islands. As time flew by
things seemed to prosper with the merchant. The keel of a little
schooner was laid. Father, and son, and seamen (as well as the native
servant, who was called Jako) toiled at this vessel incessantly until
she was finished--then, Henry was placed in command of her, Jo and Dick
were appointed first and second mates, two or three natives completed
the crew, and she went to sea under the somewhat peculiar name of the
_Avenger_.

This seemed to be the first decided advance in the fortunes of the new
family. Business increased in a wonderful way. The _Avenger_ returned
again and again to the Green Isle laden with rich and varied commodities
for the successful merchant. In course of time the old store was taken
down, and a new one built; the _Avenger_ was sold, and a large brig
purchased, the rather pretty name of which--"_Evening Star_"--was
erased, and the mysterious word _Avenger_ put in its place. Everything,
in short, betokened that Mr Stuart was on the high road to fortune.

But there were some mysteries connected with the merchant which sorely
puzzled the wisest heads in the place, and which would have puzzled
still wiser heads had they been there. Although it soon became quite
evident to the meanest capacity that Mr Stuart was the richest man on
the island; yet he and his family continued to occupy the poor, shabby,
little, ill-furnished cottage which they had erected with their own
hands when they first landed, and although they sold the finest silks
and brocades to the wives and daughters of the other wealthy settlers,
the