d.

In the combat with the _Bellone_ Will had been slightly wounded, and as he
was most anxious to proceed with his investigation with regard to his
relations, he applied for leave on his arrival at Portsmouth.

This was at once granted, and at the same time he received his promotion
to post rank in consequence of his capture of the _Bellone_.

CHAPTER XIX

CONCLUSION

Will's first visit, after arriving in London, was to Dulwich. He had
visited the house with Mr. Palethorpe when it was in progress of building,
and had been favourably impressed with it, but now that it was complete he
thought it was one of the prettiest houses that he had ever seen. The
great conservatory was full of plants and shrubs, which he recognized as
natives of Jamaica, and the garden was brilliant with bright flowers.

"I am delighted to see you again, Will," Mr. Palethorpe said, as he was
shown in. "Alice is out at present, but she will be back before long. I
must congratulate you on your promotion, which I saw in the _Gazette_ this
morning."

"Yes, sir, my good fortune sticks to me, except for this wound, and it is
nothing serious and will soon be right again."

"Don't say good fortune, lad. You have won your way by conduct and
courage, and you have a right to be proud of your position. I believe you
are the youngest captain in the service, and that without a shadow of
private interest to push you on. I am very glad to hear that your wound is
so slight."

"You are not looking well, sir," Will said, after they had chatted for a
time.

"No, I have had a shock which, I am ashamed to say, I have allowed to
annoy me. I came home with L70,000. Of that I invested L40,000 in good
securities, and allowed the rest to remain in my agent's hands until he
came upon some good and safe security. Well, I was away with Alice in the
country when he wrote to me to say that he strongly recommended me to buy
a South Sea stock which everyone was running after, and which was rising
rapidly. I must own that it seemed a good thing, so I told him to buy.
Well, it went up like wildfire, and I could have sold out at four times
the price at which I bought. At last I wrote to him to realize, and he
replied that it had suddenly fallen a bit, and recommending me to wait
till it went up again, which it was sure to do. I didn't see a London
paper for some days, and when I did get one I found,