to my horror, that
the bubble had burst, and that the stock was virtually not worth the paper
on which it was printed. The blow has affected me a good deal. I admit now
that it was foolish, and feel it so; but when a man has been working all
his life, it is hard to see nearly half of the fortune he has gained swept
away at a blow."

"It is hard, sir, very hard. Still, it was fortunate that you had already
invested L40,000 in good securities. After all, with this house and
L40,000 you will really not so very much miss the sum you have lost."

"That is exactly what I tell myself, Will. Still, you know, a dog with two
bones in his mouth will growl if he loses one of them. Nevertheless
L40,000 is not to be despised by any means, and I shall have plenty to
give my little Alice a good portion when she marries."

"That will be comfortable for her, sir, but I should say that the man
would be lucky if he got her without a shilling."

"Well, well, we'll see, we'll see. I have no desire to part with her yet."

"That I can well understand, sir."

"Ah, here she is!"

A rosy colour spread over the girl's face when she saw who her father's
visitor was.

"I expected you in a day or two," she said, "but not so soon as this. When
we saw your name in the _Gazette_ we made sure that it would not be long
before you paid us a visit. I am glad to see that your wound has not
pulled you down much."

"No indeed. I am all right; but it was certain that I should come here
first of all."

"And what are your plans now?" Mr. Palethorpe asked.

"I am going to set to work at once to discover my family. I have not been
to my lawyer yet, so I don't know how much he has done, but I certainly
mean to go into the business in earnest."

"Well, it doesn't matter to you much now, Will, whether your family are
dukes or beggars. You can stand on your own feet as a captain in the royal
navy with a magnificent record of services."

"Yes, I see that, sir; but still I certainly do wish to be able to prove
that I come of at least a respectable family. I have not the least desire
to obtain any rank or anything of that kind, only to know that I have
people of my own."

"I do not say that it is not a laudable ambition, but I don't believe that
anyone would think one scrap better or worse of you were you to find that
you were heir to a dukedom."

Will slept there that night, and the next morning drove into the city to
his lawyer's office. "Well, Capta