ead at Betty, and cried triumphantly--

"Now behold for yourself what miracles love and home and appreciation
can work! That was Miss Beveridge once on a time, and you called her a
frump and a fright, but the _real_ woman was that charming Mrs Digby,
and the magician's wand has brought her to life?"

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

A BUNDLE OF LETTERS.

_Miles Trevor to his Mother_.

Dearest Mater,--A merry Christmas to you all! I can hardly believe it
is nearly four years since I said good-bye and came out here, though
there are times, when I am down on my luck, when it seems more like a
hundred. One doesn't have much time for moping during the day, but the
evenings are the trying times, when one wonders what on earth made him
such an idiot as to leave the dear old country. In saner moments I'm
precious glad I did, for I shouldn't have had half the chance of getting
on at home. The manager went off for a holiday last week and left me in
charge, and I'm thankful to say all has gone well. It was my chance of
showing what I could do, and I was determined to make the most of it.
All the same, I am sorry at times that I did not go in for mining, as I
once thought of doing, you remember. My chum Gerard is going ahead at a
great rate. He came out here without a penny, and has simply worked his
way through the different processes in the big Aladdin Mine with which
we are connected. He took the most profitable stages first, and when he
had saved up a little money went in for the ones which paid least, until
he had a real practical working knowledge of everything from start to
finish. Of course he had had no training at home, or this would not
have been necessary, but as he is a beggar to work, and a genius at
making other people work too, he has risen to the post of sub-manager,
and as soon as he has saved enough money is going prospecting on his own
account. He has promised me a share in his gold-mine when it is
discovered, and you may trust Gerard to find one if it is in existence,
so you may see us home together some fine day to float our company.

The sooner it comes the better, or everything and everyone will be
changed out of knowledge! It is beyond my imaginative powers to think
of Jill as a young lady with her hair up, and Jack at Oxford, and Betty
"an old maid." (There's not much of the old maid about that photograph
she sent out last mail!) All the fellows admire it tremendously, and it
gives quite an a