ave settled that point I will go to town to
pay my respects to the First Lord of the Admiralty, and then I think I
will go and see your father and mother; for, until I know how matters
stand, and whether I shall be able to go with spare cash in my pocket, I
do not wish to see my own family; so write down your address here, and
you'll be sure I'll come, if it is only to square my accounts with you,
for I am not a little in your debt."

I cashed a check sent by my father, and set off in the mail that night;
the next evening I arrived safe home. But I shall leave the reader to
imagine the scene: to my mother I was always dear, and circumstances had
rendered me of some importance to my father, for I was now an only son,
and his prospects were very different from what they were when I left
home. About a week afterwards, O'Brien joined us, having got through
all his business. His first act was, to account with my father for his
share of the expenses; and he even insisted upon paying his half of the
fifty Napoleons given me by Celeste, which had been remitted to a banker
at Paris before O'Brien's arrival, with a guarded letter of thanks from
my father to Colonel O'Brien, and another from me to dear little
Celeste. O'Brien had remained with us about a week, he told me that he
had about one hundred and sixty pounds in his pocket, and that he
intended to go and see his friends, as he was sure that he would be
welcome, even to Father McGrath. "I mean to stay with them about a
fortnight, and shall then return and apply for employment. Now, Peter,
will you like to be again under my protection?"

"O'Brien, I will never quit you or your ship, if I can help it."

"Spoken like a sensible Peter. Well, then, I was promised immediate
employment, and I will let you know as soon as the promise is
performed."

O'Brien took his leave of my family, who were already very partial to
him, and left that afternoon for Holyhead. My father no longer treated
me as a child; indeed it would have been an injustice if he had. I do
not mean to say that I was a clever boy; but I had seen much of the
world in a short time, and could act and think for myself. He often
talked to me about his prospects, which were very different from what
they were when I left him. My two uncles, his elder brothers, had died,
the third was married and had two daughters. If he had no son my father
would succeed to the title. The death of my elder brother Tom had