des, since we met, that little matter of
your birth has puzzled me, and you can't tell, old fellow, how anxious I
am to have it settled, though I feel quite sure now that you are my
cousin. Every time I look at you I see the resemblance to my mother and
aunt and to myself."

"I agree with you there," answered Phil. "I've looked at myself more
attentively in the glass than ever before, and I think it is no fancy,
but that there is in reality a similarity of feature. I trust it will
be proved that I am your cousin. I shall be a lucky fellow if it turns
out true."

"Perhaps you will be more fortunate than you imagine," said Douglas,
with a gay laugh.

"Why? How?" asked Phil inquisitively.

"Oh! if you are my cousin, you will have little need to do hard work in
the future."

"Why? I don't understand you, Douglas," Phil answered doubtfully.

"Great goodness! old man, you will be quite a Croesus," Douglas replied,
with a laugh. "To tell you the whole truth, my grandfather was overcome
with remorse, and, believing you would eventually be found, settled a
large sum of money on you--larger than on any of his other children. My
mother is one of the trustees of that fund, and I happen to know that it
is now considerably swollen, having been most happily invested."

"It would be nice to have an independent income," Phil mused
thoughtfully, "but I think, Douglas, that I would far rather have the
new relations. See what an interest they would give me in the future."

"Yes, I think they would, Phil, particularly the cousins. I believe
there are some fifteen of the latter, and ten at least are girls, one
being my sister. Oh yes, old fellow! I've no doubt there would be a
great amount of interest; for a young chap who wins his way from the
ranks by a series of plucky acts, and who, moreover, is a gentleman and
a cousin too, must necessarily be of absorbing interest to new
relations."

Douglas laughed merrily, while Phil coloured hotly.

"I'm afraid I'm a shy fellow with girls," he stuttered, "but you'll
stand by me, Douglas, won't you?"

"Rather, old man, and do my best to be of more interest than you,"
laughed his friend. "Cousins, particularly of the fair sex, are
exceedingly charming company. It'll be a regular picnic, old man."

And now, before lowering the gangway and landing Phil, Douglas, and Tony
on England's shore, let us briefly glance at the closing scenes of the
Crimean war. In February, while o