of his companions had assembled to bid
him good-bye. Many shed tears, and Peppo, at the last moment, came
flying in breathless. "Oh, Willy, Willy," he cried embracing him,
"never, never shall I forget how good you were to me. Who will protect
me now when they all tease me?"

"Oh, but you are all here together and like each other so much,"
answered Willy. "Who is going to protect me from this bad man?" The
last words he whispered in the ear of his little friend.

"Your holy guardian angel," he answered, "and we will all pray for you."

"Come on, nephew, I don't want to stay here any longer," urged the
Captain, and a moment later the two had left the College of the Holy
Saviour and were out in the street.

Immediately after their departure Father Somazzo called his pupils into
the chapel and there they commended their small companion to the
Blessed Virgin and the holy guardian angels. Of all there assembled
small Peppo prayed most earnestly.

"O holy guardian angel, thou who art my protector," he said in his
childish simplicity, "Willy will now have need of two guardian angels
instead of one, if God will permit, go and help Willy's guardian angel
to protect him from the bad man who has taken him away. You see here
where I am the good Fathers will watch over me, and it will be enough
if each day you but look at me and then fly away to Willy. But, dear
angel, come to me when I am in danger and call for help."

After this the boys returned to the schoolroom, and as soon as they
were at work, Father Somazzo took his hat and walking-stick and went to
the city to consult Mr. Black, an English lawyer. To him he stated the
case assuring the learned gentleman that the father would not willingly
have placed his child under the guardianship of this younger brother,
who was a gambler and a spendthrift, and asked if there was any way of
getting the boy a way from him. Mr. Black said that according to law
the uncle, as next of kin, could claim the guardianship of his
brother's children, and unless sufficient proof that he was not a fit
person to have such guardianship could be secured immediately, months
might elapse before he could be taken from him. At the time of our
story Hongkong was not connected with Europe by telegraph, as it now
is, and it took from eight to ten weeks to communicate with people in
Dublin.

CHAPTER III.

Aboard the "St. George."

The Captain took his nephew directly to the harbor.