his eyes he saw
that the professor was kneeling by his chair ready to take one of his
hands and hold it between his broad palms.

"Lawrence, my boy," he said; "your poor father and I were great friends,
and he was to me as a brother; your mother as a sister. He left me as
it were the care and charge of you, and it seems to me that in my
selfish studies I have neglected my trust; but, Heaven helping me, my
boy, I will try and make up for the past. You shall so with me, my dear
lad, and we will search till we find a place that shall restore you to
health and strength."

"You will take me with you?" cried the boy with a joyous light in his
eyes.

"That I will," cried the professor.

"And when?"

"As soon as you can be moved."

"But," sighed the lad wearily, "it will cost so much."

"Well?" said the professor, "What of that? I am not a poor man. I
never spend my money."

"Oh! if it came to that," said the lawyer, taking some more snuff and
snapping his fingers, "young Lawrence here has a pretty good balance
lying idle."

"Mr Burne, for shame!" cried Mrs Dunn; "here have I been waiting to
hear you speak, and you encourage the wild idea, instead of stamping
upon it like a black beadle."

"Wild idea, ma'am?" cried the lawyer, blowing a defiant blast.

"Yes, sir; to talk about taking that poor weak sickly boy off into
foreign lands among savages, and cannibals, and wild beasts, and noxious
reptiles."

"Stuff, ma'am, stuff!"

"But it isn't stuff, sir. The doctor said--"

"Hang the doctor, ma'am!" cried the lawyer. "The doctor can't cure him,
poor lad, so let's see if we can't do a little better."

"Why, I believe you approve of it, sir!" cried Mrs Dunn with a
horror-stricken look.

"Approve of it, ma'am? To be sure, I do. The very thing. Asia Minor,
didn't you say, Mr Preston?"

The professor bowed.

"Yes; I've heard that you get summer weather there in winter. I think
you have hit the right nail on the head."

"And you approve of it, sir?" cried the boy excitedly.

"To be sure, I do, my lad."

"It will kill him," said Mrs Dunn emphatically.

"Tchah! stuff and nonsense, ma'am!" cried the lawyer. "The boy's too
young and tough to kill. We'll take him out there and make a man of
him."

"We, sir?" exclaimed the professor.

"Yes, sir, we," said the lawyer, taking some more snuff, and dusting his
black waistcoat. "Hang it all! Do you think you are the only man in
England who wants a h