Mr. Hardie explained to his new ally the danger that threatened him from
Miss Julia Dodd.

"And now," said he, "the women have sent the father to soften me. I
shall be told his girl will die if she can't have my boy."

But, instead of the heartbroken father he expected, in came the gallant
sailor, with a brown cheek reddened with triumph and excitement, who
held out his hand cordially, almost shouting in a jovial voice, "Well,
sir, here I am, just come ashore, and visiting you before my very wife;
what d'ye think of that?"

Hardie stared, and remained on his guard, puzzled; while David Dodd
showed his pocket-book, and in the pride of his heart, and the fever in
his blood--for there were two red spots on his cheeks all the time--told
the cold pair its adventures in a few glowing words; the Calcutta
firm--the two pirates--the hurricane--the wrecks, the land-sharks he had
saved it from. "And here it is safe, in spite of them all, and you must
be good enough to take care of it for me."

He then opened the pocket-book, and Mr. Hardie ran over the notes and
bills, and said the amount was £14,010 12s. 6d.

Dodd asked for a receipt, and while it was written poor Dodd's heart
overflowed.

"It's my children's fortune, you see; I don't look on a sixpence of it
as mine. It belongs to my little Julia, bless her, she's a rosebud if
ever there was one; and my boy Edward, he's the honestest young chap you
ever saw; but how could they miss either good looks or good hearts, and