ission to put young Savage in as his _locum tenens;_
which, by the by, is how politic men in general serve their friends.

The _Shannon_ sailed, but not until an incident had occurred that must
not be entirely passed over. Old Mr. White called on General Rolleston
with a long face, and told him James Seaton had disappeared.

"Stolen anything?"

"Not a shilling. Indeed, the last thing the poor fellow did was to give
us a proof of his honesty. It seems a passenger paid him twenty-seven
pounds for a berth in the _Proserpine,_ just before she sailed. Well,
sir, he might have put this in his pocket, and nobody been the wiser. But
no, he entered the transaction, and the numbers of the notes, and left
the notes themselves in an envelope addressed to me. What I am most
afraid of is, that some harm has come to him, poor lad."

"What day did he disappear?"

"The 11th of November."

"The day my daughter sailed for England," said General Rolleston,
thoughtfully.

"Was it, sir? Yes, I remember. She went in the _Proserpine."_

General Rolleston knitted his brows in silence for some time; then he
said, "I'll set the detectives on his track."

"Not to punish him, general. We do not want him punished."

"To punish him, protect him, or avenge him, as the case may require," was
the reply, uttered very gravely.

Mr. White took his leave. General Rolleston rang the bell, and directed
his servant to go for Hexham, the detective.

He then rang the bell again, and sent for Sarah Wilson. He put some
searching questions to this woman; and his interrogatory had hardly
concluded when Hexham was announced. General Rolleston dismissed the
girl, and, looking now very grave indeed, asked the detective whether he
remembered James Seaton.

"That I do, sir."

"He has levanted."

"Taken much, sir?"

"Not a shilling."

"Gone to the diggings?"

"That you must find out."

"What day was he first missed, sir?"

"Eleventh of November. The very day Miss Rolleston left."

Hexham took out a little greasy notebook and examined it. "Eleventh of
November," said he, "then I almost think I have got a clew, sir; but I
shall know more when I have had a word with two parties." With this he
retired.

But he came again at night and brought General Rolleston some positive
information; with this, however, we shall not trouble the reader just
here. For General Rolleston himself related it, and the person to whom he
did relate it, and the attendant