the letter would
contain anything contrary to his hopes.

The idea was so far from his wishes that he shook it away at once;
he could not even bear to think of it.

But the postman came not, and it was now ten o'clock. He remembered
with pain that the day before he had passed by at half-past nine.

"I must attend to my work," he thought, "he will come presently." He
went about the greenhouse, watering his plants, but every other
minute he opened the door and anxiously watched for the bringer of
good news to put in an appearance.

He came at last. He handed a letter to Frank who ran towards him to
receive it.

"You seem very much in earnest," remarked the postman, "maybe it's a
love-letter. And from London too," he added noticing the post mark.

"I'm not so foolish as that," said Frank; as if such letters were
below his dignity; "this is about an invention which I am going to
have patented."

The postman showed the whites of his eyes, then turned on his heels
and continued his journey.

Frank tore open the envelope, unfolded the letter and read:--

"London.

"We are in receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant, and have
much pleasure in informing you that your invention has not, to
our best knowledge, been patented or manufactured.

"We think it would prove very well in rural districts.

"The best way for you, would be to secure it by provisional
protection for nine months.

"Please forward us L2 10s., and we will send you, at our
earliest possible convenience, the necessary documents."

"Hurrah!" shouted Frank joyfully. "I'll send them the money as soon
as I can."

He read the letter a second time to make sure that his eyes had not
deceived him. Suddenly he stopped reading. No, it was not in the
letter. A thought had struck him. "I will have to mention the money
matter to my step-mother, for she keeps the keys of my drawer," he
said in a soliloquy.

He went into the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Mathers were there. Frank
flourished the letter in his hand and exclaimed: "My invention is
likely to be a success." And, holding the letter in both his hands,
he read it to his parents.

He emphasized the points that were in his favour, with all the force
which he was capable of displaying.

Mrs. Mathers looked satisfied enough till her step-son came to the
money matter. Here her face lengthened and as soon as he had
finished reading she said: "Clever people; they th