t any evil consequences would arise from his receiving so respectable
a personage as Mr Handscombe at his house.

Roger was expecting another visit from Stephen, and perhaps Mistress
Alice might have been looking forward with some pleasure to his coming,
when a note was received from him saying that by his father's express
desire he was about to accompany Mr Handscombe to Bristol; that before
the note would reach Roger he should already have set out. He regretted
not having had time to pay a farewell visit, and begged to send his kind
regards to Madam Pauline and Mistress Alice, as also to the Colonel and
Mr Willoughby. "Mr Handscombe," he continued, "undertakes to place me
in a situation of trust, and my father thinks that it would be folly to
decline so fine an opportunity of forwarding my interests in life. I
promise you, Roger, that should I hear of any situation which you can
fill with advantage, I will not fail to let you know, and I hope that
your father and the Colonel will approve of your accepting it; you know
that I mean what I say, and therefore do not look upon it as a mere
make-believe promise."

This last paragraph somewhat consoled Roger for the regret he felt at
the loss of his friend and companion.

"I am sure he will do his best," said Mistress Alice, who was always
ready to praise Stephen; she, indeed, thought there were but few people
like him in the world.

"Yes, he is honest and truthful, two excellent qualities in a young
man," observed Madam Pauline.

"Yes, that he is, and I shall not find any one like him in this part of
the country," said Roger.

Stephen often said the same thing of his friend.

Roger Willoughby had now plenty of time to attend to his studies; he
continued working away steadily with his book of navigation, as well as
with the few other works which he possessed, his uncle and father
helping him to the best of their ability, but neither of them had had
much time in their youth for study. He obtained rather more assistance
from Master Holden, who was very willing to impart such knowledge as he
possessed, albeit not of a description which Roger especially prized.

Almost sooner than he expected, Roger received a note from Stephen
Battiscombe, saying that his good fortune had been greater than he
expected. He had got a situation in one of the principal mercantile
houses in Bristol with which Mr Handscombe was connected, and that a
post for which he considered Roger ve