cluded that it is very valuable."

"Valuable, sir?"

"Yes, far more so than many of the best of the copper and tin mines
here."

"I am glad," cried Will.

"Why?" said Mr Temple sharply. "Can you buy the land that contains
it?"

Will shook his head.

"Can you get up a company to buy and work it?"

"No, sir," said Will sadly. "I should not understand how to do that,
and--"

"Some one else would get hold of it, and you would not benefit in the
least."

"No, sir, not in the least," said Will sadly. "I am a fisher lad. That
is my business."

"But you discovered the vein," said Mr Temple.

"Yes, sir, I found it when I was hunting about as I have done these two
years."

"Then don't you think you have a right to some of the profit from such a
vein?"

"I don't know, sir. Of course I should like to have some of it, sir,
but I don't see how I could expect it."

"Then I do," said Mr Temple. "Look here, my lad, I will tell you
something. I have purchased the whole of the land that contains that
vein."

"You've bought it, father?" cried Dick. "Oh, I am glad!"

"Why?" said his father sharply.

"Because we shall come here to live."

"Oh!" said Mr Temple. "Now look here, Marion. You showed me what I
hope will prove very valuable to me, and I don't want to be ungrateful
in return. Now what should you say if I spent a hundred pounds in a
boat expressly for you, and after we had called it _The White Spar_, I
presented it to you?"

"I should say it was very generous of you, sir."

"And it would make you very happy, my lad?"

"No, sir," said Will sadly, "I don't think it would."

"Then suppose I spent two hundred and fifty pounds in a boat and nets.
Come, that ought to set you up for life." Will was silent.

"You like that idea?" The lad shook his head.

"Then look here, Marion," said Mr Temple. "Suppose I say to you, I am
going to open out and work that vein at once, will you come and help me,
and I'll give you five shillings a week?"

"Yes, sir, I'll come," cried Will, with his eyes sparkling; "I'll work
so hard for you, I will indeed."

"I know you will, my lad," said Mr Temple, shaking hands with him
warmly.

"And you will take me, sir?" said Will excitedly.

"Certainly I will, but not on such terms as that. My good lad, there is
honesty in the world, though sometimes it is rather hard to find. Look
here. You helped me to the discovery, but it was useless without
capital. I found