ch Hamilton had displayed since the hour of his
great disappointment. Never a word of repining, never the exhibition in
public of a clouded brow, never any apparent longing to creep into
lonely brakes like the wounded deer--only the man-like resolve to put up
with the inevitable, and go on with one's work in life just as if
nothing had happened. All the time the Dictator knew what a passionately
loving nature Hamilton had, and he knew how he must have suffered. 'I am
old enough almost to be the lad's father,' he thought to himself, 'and I
could not have borne it like that.' All this passed through his mind in
a time so short that Hamilton was not able to notice any delay in the
reply to his observation.

'You are right, boy,' the Dictator cheerily said. 'I don't believe that
you and I were meant for any mission but the redemption of Gloria.'

'I am glad, to hear you say so,' Hamilton interposed quickly.

'Had you ever any doubt of my feelings on that subject?' Ericson asked
with a smile.

'Oh, no, of course not; but I don't always like to hear you talking
about the troubles of these old worn-out countries, as if you had
anything to do with them or were born to set them right. It seems as if
you were being decoyed away from your real business.'

'No fear of that, boy,' the Dictator said. 'What I was thinking of was
that we might very well arrange to do something for the country of our
birth and the country of our adoption at once, Hamilton--by some great
scheme of English colonisation in Gloria. If we get back again I should
like to see clusters of English villages springing up all over the
surface of that lovely country.'

'Our people are so wanting in adaptability,' Hamilton began.

'My dear fellow, how can you say that? Who made the United States? What
about Australia? What about South Africa?'

'These were weedy poor chaps, these fellows who were here just now,'
Hamilton suggested.

'Good brain-power among some of them, all the same,' the Dictator
asserted. 'Do you know, Hamilton, say what you will, the idea catches
fire in my mind?'

'I am very glad, Excellency; I am very glad of any idea that makes you
warm to the hope of returning to Gloria.'

'Dear old boy, what _is_ the matter with you? You seem to think that I
need some spurring to drive me back to Gloria. Do you really think
anything of the kind?'

'Oh, no, Excellency, I don't--if it comes to that. But I don't like your
getting mixed up in any m