tances, were productive
of the one great end and object of his life--gold.

"However," pursued Mr Denham, leaning back on the mantle-piece, "as the
tyrannical customs of society cannot be altogether set at nought, I
suppose I must let you go."

"Thank you, unc--sir," said Guy, who, having been chained to the desk in
the office of Redwharf Lane for the last eleven months, felt his young
heart bounding wildly within him at the prospect of visiting, even for a
brief period, his mother's cottage on the coast of Kent.

"You have no occasion to thank _me_," retorted Mr Denham; "you are
indebted entirely to the tyrannical customs and expectations of society
for the permission. Good-bye, you may convey my respects to your
mother."

"I will, sir."

"Have you anything further to say?" asked Mr Denham, observing that the
youth stood looking perplexedly at the ground, and twirling his
watch-key.

"Yes, uncle, I have," answered Guy, plucking up courage. "The fact is--
that, is to say--you know that wrecks are very common off the coast of
Kent."

"Certainly, I do," said Denham with a frown. "I have bitter cause to
know that. The loss occasioned by the wreck of the `Sea-gull' last
winter was very severe indeed. The subject is not a pleasant one; have
you any good reason for alluding to it?"

"I have, uncle; as you say, the loss of the `Sea-gull' was severe, for,
besides the loss of a fine vessel and a rich cargo, there was the
infinitely more terrible loss of the lives of twenty-two human beings."

As Mr Denham had not happened to think of the loss of life that
occurred on the occasion, and had referred solely to the loss of ship
and cargo, which, by a flagrant oversight on the part of one of his
clerks, had not been insured; he made no rejoinder, and Guy, after a
moment's pause, went on--

"The effect of this calamity was so powerful on the minds of the people
of Deal and Walmer, near which the wreck took place, that a public
meeting was called, and a proposal made that a lifeboat should be
established there."

"Well?" said Mr Denham.

"Well," continued the youth, "my mother gave a subscription; but being
poor she could not give much."

"Well, well," said Mr Denham impatiently.

"And--and _I_ gave a little, a very little, towards it too," said Guy.

"Your salary is not large; it was very foolish of you to waste your
money in this way."

"Waste it, uncle!"

"Come, sir, what does all this tend to?" said Den