t absence, made a fortune that is at all
likely to satisfy the requirements of her father."

"I suppose not," returned the diver. "No doubt, at gold-diggin's an'
diamond-fields an' such-like one does hear of a man makin' a find that
enables him to set up his carriage an' four, and ride, mayhap at a
tremendous pace, straight on to ruin by means of it, but as a rule
people don't pick up sovereigns like stones either at home or abroad.
It's the experience of most men, that steady perseverance leads by the
shortest road to competence, if not to wealth.--But that's beside the
question. I think you did right, Mister Eddy--excuse an old servant,
sir, if it's taking too much liberty to use the old familiar name,--you
did right in coming here instead of going there."

"So thought I, Baldy--you see that I too can take liberties,--else I
should not have come. Your letter solved the difficulty, for, when I
was at the very height of the struggle before mentioned--at equipoise so
to speak,--and knew not whether to go to the right or to the left,
_that_ decided me. I regarded it as a leading of Providence."

Baldwin turned a rather sudden look of surprise on his young companion.

"A leading of Providence, Mr Eddy! I never heard you use such an
expression before."

"True, but I have learned to use it since I went to sea," replied our
hero quietly.

"That's strange," rejoined the diver in a low voice, as if he feared to
scare the young man from a subject that was very near his own heart,
"very strange, for goin' to sea has not often the effect of makin'
careless young fellows serious--though it sometimes has, no doubt. How
was it, if I--"

"Yes, Baldy," interrupted Edgar, with a pleasant smile, laying his hand
on the diver's huge shoulder, "I don't mind making a confidant of you in
this as in other matters. I'll tell you,--the story is short enough.
When I parted from Aileen, she made me a present of a New Testament from
a pile that she happened to have by her to give to the poor people. To
be more particular, I asked for one, and she consented to let me have
it. You see I wanted a keepsake! Well, when at sea, I read the
Testament regularly, night and morning, for Aileen's sake, but God in
His great love led me at last to read it for the sake of Him whose
blessed life and death it records."

"Then you've fairly hauled down the enemy's colours and hoisted those of
the Lord?" asked Baldwin.

"I have been led to do so,