ith the same cold-blooded silence. Matters would soon have
gone hard indeed with the Brand family had not a former suitor of Mrs
Brand's (who had been rejected in favour of the man she afterwards took
for her husband) chivalrously come forward at this juncture, not only
relieving their immediate necessities, but also using all his influence,
which was potent, to obtain for Mr Brand the appointment which the poor
fellow held until his death.

"And supposing," said I, after listening to this disheartening
recital--"supposing that your relatives will _not_ help you, have you
any plans laid to meet such a contingency? `Hope for the best and
provide for the worst' is a favourite motto of your friend Bob; and I
really think it is singularly applicable in your case."

"No," she replied rather despondently: "no very definite plan, that is.
I am fairly well educated, I believe. Dear mamma was most accomplished,
I have often heard papa say, and she taught me everything she knew. I
speak French, German, and Italian, and seem to have a natural aptitude
for music; and I sketch a little in water-colours. I have all my
materials with me, and a few sketches which I may perhaps be able to
sell when I reach home--I will let you see them some day--and I think I
may perhaps be able to get a situation as governess, or maintain myself
respectably by teaching music and drawing. And then, you know, I am not
absolutely destitute. I have about twenty pounds with me, and I sent
home three hundred, the proceeds of the sale of our furniture, to
England; and some friends of poor papa's in Canton say they are sure he
must have some money invested somewhere, and they have promised to find
out if it really is so, and to realise it for me; and I have given them
the necessary powers to do so; so you see I shall not land in England
actually a beggar."

"God forbid!" I earnestly ejaculated. "With regard to your landing in
England, I ought perhaps to tell you that you must not hope to do so
very soon. We are now in a part of the world quite out of the usual
track of ships, and I fear it may be some time before we shall fall in
with any, and when we do, it is questionable whether they will be quite
the class of vessel you would like to make the voyage home in. My great
hope is that we may soon fall in with a sandalwood trader, in which case
you would have an opportunity of returning to China, and re-shipping
from thence home."

"I hope we shal