better satisfied if we send one. I think you had better write, Ellen."

And Ellen did write, although it cost her a deal of trouble, and the waste of over a quire of post paper, before she could get one worded to suit her. Indeed, she did not succeed at all; but, in despair, sent off the last one she had written. Poor Ellen, how easily she could have written a letter to poor Henry Selby! How difficult it was to write one to Henry Selby, Esq., merchant of Calcutta, British India!

She might, however, have spared herself the pains. The letter reached Calcutta after Henry Selby had sailed for England. It did eventually reach him; but it was received by him at New York, to which place it had been re-posted by his partners in Calcutta ; and before that period he had seen and spoken with Ellen, and had- -but we forbear. We

will not anticipate our story.

Mr. Blunt, during the period of which we speak, had not recovered from the effects of his disastrous failure. He was now a book-keeper in a house in Water-street.

Thus matters rested five years from the date of Joseph Carter's removal from New York to Philadelphia.

ABOUT five years, perhaps a little more, after the period when we last brought George Hartley into immediate connexion with the reader, he had entered the office in Wall-street, as usual, about nine o'clock. Shortly afterwards the postman entered with a bundle of letters, amongst which there was a packet from India. One of these letters contained an invoice of goods, shortly expected to arrive in the Montezuma, East Indiaman, which were chiefly consigned to the house of Wilson and Co.; for, in addition to doing an extensive banking business, this firm received and shipped a great quantity

of goods from and to all parts of the world. The reading of the invoice fell within the province of the managing clerk, George Hartley; but the letters, two of which were especially marked "private," were of course laid on the table in the inner office, usually occupied by the Messrs. Wilson. At ten o'clock those gentlemen reached the office, and immediately proceeded to open and read their correspondents' letters. Very soon Mr. Hartley was summoned to wait upon his principals.

"You have received the invoice of the Montezuma's cargo, Mr. Hartley?" said the senior member of the firm.

"Yes, sir.'

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Very well. I have here two private letters, one of them is from Mr. Selby, one of the partners of the house of Dawson and Selby, who have done so much business with us for these three years past; the other is from a gentleman who has taken passage on board the Montezuma, from Calcutta. He is an Englishman and a man of rank. Lord Mordant, as I understand from some remarks in another letter; Henry Mordant he signs his name. However, singularly enough, both letters, though evidently written without any pre-arrangement on the part of the writers, have allusion to the same matter. Mr. Selby wishes me to discover, if possible, whether a man named Joseph Carter, or any of his family, are now residing in New York, or, if they have left, where they are to be found. He says, this man, Carter, was formerly a city watchman, and a carman in the employ of Mr. Blunt. Mr. Blunt-let me think -that was the name of the merchant who failed during the hard winter five or six years ago. If we can find him out, he may know something of the man or his family. I should like to do all I can to find him, for I wish to oblige Mr. Selby. His house has dealt very liberally with us since we have done business with the firm."

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'Carter-Joseph Carter, sir," said Mr. Hartley-" that must be the person whom I recommended to you as a light porter for our house in Philadelphia. He is still living there, and filling the situation; they speak very favourably of him. It will be easy enough to find him.”

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Indeed. Well, it is singular," continued Mr. Wilson, "that the very man so particularly inquired for should actually be in our employ. You are not mistaken in the man, Mr. Hartley ?"

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"I think not, sir. This Joseph Carter was formerly one of the watchmen of the city, and often engaged as a private

watchman. He has been employed several times to keep watch in this very house, at times when we have had a large amount of specie on hand."

The request in the other letter," continued the merchant "the one from Henry Mordant, or Lord Mordant, is still more singular. The gentleman or nobleman wishes also to know whether an old man named Carter, a city watchman, is still alive. But that is not all. He asks me to ascertain whether there is a person or family named Hartley, of Irish descent, living in the city of New York; and if such be the case, to advise him on his arrival where they can be found." Hartley!" exclaimed George. "That's my name, certainly, and I am of Irish descent; in fact, of immediate Irish parentage; but I know no such person as Lord Henry Mordant, though I believe there was a nobleman of that name whose estates lay contiguous to the town in which I was born."

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Then, I presume," said Mr. Wilson, "his lordship must refer to you. Perhaps he claims you as a relative, Mr. Hartley, or maybe some one has left you a legacy. In either case," he added, smilingly, “I am selfish enough to hope that he may not proffer such advantageous offers to you as may induce you to leave our firm. We should be sorry to lose your services now, Mr. Hartley."

"I'm afraid, sir, there's not much hope of that," observed George. "However, it's rather singular that the inquiry should be made. At all events, he'll experience no difficulty in finding me out."

"But about this man, Carter," interrupted Mr. Wilson. "At what date may the Montezuma be expected to arrive in port, Mr. Hartley ?"

"I believe she may be expected, sir, in about three or four weeks from this. The invoice was dispatched by the overland route, and when it left she had sailed from Calcutta full a fortnight."

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'Suppose we send for Carter to come here. Do you think we could find him employment ?"

"Davidson is going to leave, sir. I dare say Carter is competent to take his place as messenger."

"Well, write then to the house in Philadelphia, and tell them to send Carter on here with his family. I should like him to be here when Mr. Selby and this other gentleman arrive."

Mr. Hartley did as his employer desired, and the question having been put to Joseph Carter by his employers in Philadelphia, whether he would like to return to New York,

and occupy a better situation, he gladly accepted the offer, and within a week he and his family again found themselves in New York.

George Hartley told his wife of the strange inquiry that had been made by Lord Mordant, but neither of them could imagine any satisfactory reason wherefore it had been made, or what it foreboded. All that remained was patiently to await the arrival of the good ship Montezuma.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

STRANGE DEVELOPMENTS THE DEATH OF JUDGE MURRAY-THE DEPARTURE FOR NEW YORK.

Truly may it be said, "In the midst of life, we are in death."

LET us again change the scene of our story, and return in imagination once more to the banks of the Hooghly river. During the five years and upwards that have elapsed since we left Henry Selby just entering upon his novel duties, a great change has taken place amongst our old acquaintances in Calcutta.

The firm with which Henry Selby had then become connected, had rapidly extended its business, and was now one of the most flourishing commercial establishments in the city. Its success was, in a great measure, owing to the indefatigable endeavours of the junior partner, whose perfect acquaintance with the oriental languages most in vogue in business transactions, gave him an advantage over most of the merchants in the city, in the same line of business, who being but imperfect oriental linguists, were obliged to leave a great portion of their duties to native clerks-who, besides being naturally indolent, are not remarkable for their honesty. Again, most of the European merchants are men of good family, as it is termed-that is to say, men who had never been used to labour, and who gladly availed themselves of the dolce far niente allowed by the custom of the country, and devoted very little time every day to business, and even then merely occupied themselves with a general supervision; leaving their subordinates to do the rest.

The consequence was that they were plundered on all hands, and independently of this, lost a good deal of business, in consequence of negligence on the part of their employés. Henry

Selby considered it fair to take advantage of this. He did not conceive, because it was the custom of the country to give way to languor, and to indulge in indolent habits, that he was obliged to do so; and though he created a great many enemies among the merchants who were envious of the growing prosperity of the house with which he was connected, he counted amongst his best friends several of the most respected and most influential residents. He however found at length, that he had taxed his energies too greatly, and that his health was not so good as it had been, and as it was found advisable for one of the firm to visit the United States, with which country the house did a great amount of business, it was settled that Mr. Selby should be entrusted with that commission.

Henry Selby had long since repaid the money so gene rously advanced by Judge Murray and Lieutenant-Colonel Donaldson, and both of these gentlemen he now numbered amongst his warmest friends.

When he had decided upon going to America, he called upon the judge to acquaint him with his determination, and greatly to his surprise and delight, he found at the judge's bungalow, the Lieutenant-Colonel, whom he had seen but once since he had quitted Calcutta for Delhi; but who had now retired from the service, a full colonel, and who was thinking of shortly returning himself to England.

It was altogether a most gratifying reunion. Ada was there, a blooming matron; her youthful beauty scarcely touched by the hand of time, although she was now the mother of two handsome children. Miss Dorcas, too, was there, as cheerful and contented as when we first introduced her to the reader -nay, more cheerful-for she had forgotten her sorrows, and report said, had attracted the notice and gained the affections of an officer in the army—a nobleman of great wealth—who had been for some years in India with his regiment.

The judge was as cheerful as he had been of old, and he was glad to see Henry-for he was truly proud of him—and now claimed him equally with the colonel as his protégé.

"When do you think of sailing, Henry ?" asked the judge, when the cloth was removed from the dinner table, and the servants had retired. Judge Murray still called the young man by the old familiar name.

"I sail on board the Montezuma, which will be ready to leave this port for New York about the middle of next month," replied Henry.

"Do you know, Selby," said the colonel, "I have a great mind to take passage with Ada on board the same ship. We