tiality, I must own that
her descriptions are almost too flattering, and he must think that you
are one of the most admirable of men.

"Next as to the jewels. Your father took them to be valued by several
diamond merchants, and accepted the highest offer, which was
16,000 pounds, of which he has already invested twelve, in your name,
in shares in six ships. Four of these are Indiamen. The other two are
privateers. He said that he did not think you would object to a
quarter of the money being put into a speculative venture, and that
they were both good craft, well armed and well commanded, with strong
crews; and would, if successful, earn as much in a year as a
merchantman would in ten."

Since then the letters had been of a uniform character. The shares in
the Indiamen were giving a good and steady return. The privateers had
been very fortunate, and had captured some rich prizes. Annie had been
up, or they had been down at Plymouth. The letters during the last
three years had reported her as having grown into a young woman, and,
as his mother declared, a very pretty one. After that the allusions to
her were less frequent, but it was mentioned that she was as fond of
them as ever, and that she was still unmarried.

"She always asks when you are coming home, Dick," Mrs. Holland said,
in the last letter he had received before accompanying General Harris
to Vellore. "I told her, of course, that your last letter said that
war was certain with Tippoo; that you hoped, this time, to see
Seringapatam taken and the tyrant's power broken; and that after it
was over you would come home on leave and, perhaps, would not go out
again."

During the six years that he had been in the army, Dick had very
frequently been at Tripataly, as there was little difficulty in
getting leave for a fortnight. His cousins had now grown up into young
men, Surajah commanded the troop, and his stays there were always
extremely pleasant. The troop now numbered two hundred, for with quiet
times the population of the territory had largely increased, and the
Rajah's income grown in proportion. The troop was now dressed in
uniform, and in arms and discipline resembled the irregular cavalry in
the Company's service, and when Dick arrived at Vellore he found his
uncle and cousins there with their cavalry.

"I thought, Dick, of only sending the boys," the Rajah said, "but when
the time came for them to start, I felt that I must go myself. We have
suffered