have you
sprung from? Your last letter was from Smyrna three months ago. Mother,"
he went on, turning round, "let me introduce your boy to you."

For some minutes there was little coherent conversation.

"Now, sit down, Edgar," Mr. Blagrove said at last, "and let us hear
what unexpected chance has brought you home. I suppose, as you are in
uniform, that you have not left the service."

"Not at all, sir; I am home on three months' leave, having come home in
the _Suzanne_, a brig belonging to yourself."

"Belonging to me!" Mr. Blagrove said in astonishment. "What on earth do
you mean?"

"I bought her in your name, father, and you will have a bill presented
in the course of a couple of months or so for eight hundred and fifty
pounds. At any rate you will not be a loser by her. There will be from
six to seven hundred pounds, I cannot say how much exactly, for the
cargo was not weighed, but it is somewhat over two hundred tons at three
pounds a ton, and there is, besides, a hundred pounds for the
passage-money of twenty invalid sailors, so you see you get the ship for
practically about a hundred pounds, to which there will have to be added
the payment of a captain, mate, and ten Italian sailors. She was valued
by a court of naval officers at eight hundred and fifty pounds, that
being the price they considered that she might fetch if sold there. I
should say that she is worth quite double that. She is about three
hundred tons, and carried six guns, so at any rate you are likely to
make a thousand by the transaction.

"Then I have to inform you that, at Sir Sidney Smith's request, which I
have no doubt will be complied with, you will be appointed, by the
president of the prize court, agent for the sale of what Eastern goods
there are on board her. The cargo is made up of European goods, dried
fruits, and Eastern goods. They are what we captured from the pirates,
and Sir Sidney Smith suggested that it would be as well to intrust to
one who knew the value of the Eastern goods the work of selling them
privately, instead of putting them up to auction, and he requested that
the agency should be given to you. Wilkinson, who has come home with me,
is going to see the president of the prize court this morning, and he is
to come up here afterwards. Of course Sir Sidney did it chiefly to
oblige me, but he thought that the goods would really fetch more if sold
in that way. He said, of course, that you would get a commission on the