e, hundreds of men are
making fortunes. Only the other day a ship arrived from New York, and
one of the passengers, a `'cute' fellow, had brought out fifteen hundred
copies of several newspapers, which he sold for a dollar each in less
than two hours! Then, rents are tremendous. You will scarcely believe
me when I tell you that the rent paid by the landlord of one of the
hotels here is 110,000 dollars--about 22,000 pounds--a year, and it is
but a poor building too. My own warehouse, which is a building of only
one storey, with a front of twenty feet, is rented to me at 40,000
dollars--8000 pounds a year--and rents are rising."

Ned and the captain leaned back in their chairs aghast at such
statements, and began to entertain some doubts as to the sanity of their
host; but the worthy merchant was a grave, quiet man, without a particle
of romance in his composition, and he went on coolly telling them facts
which Ned afterwards said made his hair almost stand on end, when he
thought of how little money he possessed, and how much he would have to
pay for the bare necessaries of life.

After some further converse on men and things in general, and on
prospects at the mines, Mr Thompson said, "And now, Captain Bunting,
I'll tell you what I'll do. I will go down to your ship, overhaul the
cargo, and make you an offer for the whole in the lump, taking the
saleable with the unsaleable. This will, at any rate, put you in funds
at once, and enable you to follow what course seems best. Will that
suit you?"

"It will," said the captain, "and thank 'ee. As for turning a
boardin'-house keeper, I don't think I'm cut out for it. Neither is my
friend Sinton, eh?"

"Certainly not," answered Ned, laughing: "we might as well become
washerwomen."

"You'd make a pretty good thing of it if you did," retorted Mr
Thompson; "would they not, Lizette? you know more about these things
than I do."

"Indeed, I cannot tell, papa, as I do not know the capabilities of our
friends in that way; but I think the few washerwomen in the city must be
making fortunes, for they charge two shillings a-piece for everything,
large and small."

"Now, then, gentlemen," said the merchant, rising, "if you have quite
finished, we will walk down to the harbour and inspect the goods."

An arch smile played round Lizette's lips as she shook hands with Ned at
parting, and she seemed on the point of speaking, but checked herself.

"I beg pardon," said Ned,