the time of Charles II. till the beginning of the present century they were merchants. About 1790 my grandfather made a considerable fortune out of brewing, and retired. In 1821 he died, and my father succeeded him, and dissipated most of the money. Ten years ago he died also, leaving me a net income of about two thousand a year. Then it was that I undertook an expedition in connection with that,' and he pointed to the iron chest, `which ended disastrously enough. On my way back I travelled in the South of Europe, and finally reached Athens. There I met my beloved wife, who might well also have been called the "Beautiful," like my old Greek ancestor. There I married her, and there, a year afterwards, when my boy was born, she died.'

He paused a while, his head sunk upon his hand, and then continued--

`My marriage had diverted me from a project which I cannot enter into now. I have no time, Holly--I have no time! One day, if you accept my trust, you will learn all about it. After my wife's death I turned my mind to it again. But first it was necessary, or, at least, I conceived that it was necessary, that I should attain to a perfect knowledge of Eastern dialects, especially Arabic. It was to facilitate my studies that I came here. Very soon, however, my disease developed itself, and now there is an end of me.' And as though to emphasise his words he burst into another terrible fit of coughing.

I gave him some more whisky, and after resting he went on--

`I have never seen my boy, Leo, since he was a tiny baby. I never could bear to see him, but they tell me that he is a quick and handsome child. In this envelope,' and he produced a letter from his pocket addressed to myself, `I have jotted down the course I wish followed in the boy's education. It is a somewhat peculiar one. At any rate, I could not entrust it to a stranger. Once more, will you undertake it?'

`I must first know what I am to undertake,' I answered.

`You are to undertake to have the boy, Leo, to live with you till he is twenty-five years of age--not to send him to school, remember. On his twenty-fifth birthday your guardianship will end, and you will then, with the keys that I give you now' (and he placed them on the table), `open the iron box, and let him see and read the contents, and say whether or no he is willing to undertake the quest. There is no obligation on him to do so. Now, as regards terms. My present income is two thousand two hundred a year. Half of that income I have secured to you by will for life contingently on your undertaking the guardianship-- that is, one thousand a year remuneration to yourself, for you will have to give up your life to it, and one hundred a year to pay for the board of the boy. The rest is to accumulate till Leo is twenty-five, so that there may be a sum in hand should he wish to undertake the quest of which I spoke.'

`And suppose I were to die?' I asked.

`Then the boy must become a ward of Chancery* and take his chance. Only be careful that the iron chest is passed on to him by your will. Listen, Holly, don't refuse me. Believe me, this is to your advantage. You are not fit to mix with the world--it would only embitter you. In a few weeks you will become a Fellow of your College, and the income that you will derive from that combined with what I have left you will enable you to live a life of learned leisure, alternated with the sport of which you are so fond,* such as will exactly suit you.'

He paused and looked at me anxiously, but I still hesitated. The charge seemed so very strange.

`For my sake, Holly. We have been good friends, and I have no time to make other arrangements.'

`Very well,' I said, `I will do it, provided there is nothing in this paper to make me change my mind,' and I touched the envelope he had put upon the table by the keys.

`Thank you, Holly, thank you. There is nothing at all. Swear to me by God that you will be a father to the boy, and follow my directions to the letter.'