are very glad to see you, and to find that you have
done honour to the name. The despatch said that you have been
previously mentioned, under the name of Gregory Hilliard. We always
file our papers, and we spent an hour after breakfast in going through
them. I suppose you threw up your appointment, as soon as you
discovered that Geoffrey died, years ago, and that you had come into
the title?"

"I should have thrown it up, but Lord Kitchener was good enough to give
me six months' leave; so that, if I should fail to prove my right to
the title, I could return there and take up my work again. He was so
kind as to say that I should be given a responsible position, in the
civil administration of the Soudan."

"Well, we both feel very proud of you; and it does sound wonderful
that, being under twenty, you should have got on so well, without
friends or influence. I hope you intend to stay with us, until you have
to go up to London about these affairs."

"I shall be very happy to stay a few days, Aunt; but it is better that
I should be on the spot, as there may be questions that have to be
answered, and signatures, and all sorts of things.

"I have brought my Arab servant down with me. He has been with me for
three years, and is most faithful and devoted; and moreover, he once
saved my life, at tremendous risk to himself."

"Oh, of course we can put him up! Can he speak English?"

"He speaks a little English, and is improving fast."

"Does he dress as a native?"

"No, Aunt. He would soon freeze to death, in his native garb. As soon
as I got down to Cairo with him, I put him into good European clothes.
He is a fine specimen of a Soudan Arab, but when he came to me he was
somewhat weakly; however, he soon got over that."

"Where is he, now?"

"He is with the trap, outside. I told him that he had better not come
in until I had seen you, for I thought that your domestics would not
know what to do with him, till they had your orders."

"You brought your portmanteau with you, I hope?"

"I have brought it, but not knowing whether it would be wanted; for I
did not know whether you would take sufficiently to me, to ask me to
stay."

"The idea of such a thing! You must have had a bad opinion of us."

"No, Aunt. I had the best of opinions. I am sure that my father would
not have written as he did to you, unless he had been very fond of you.
Still, as at present I am not proved to be your nephew, I thought that
you might