“I don’t carry it in my trousers-pocket. The whole of it is, O’Hara, I am too much interested in the voyage of the Tritonia to care much about the contents of this letter. I have just become an officer, and I don’t want to give up my position.” “I understand that; but what’s the use of running away from the fortune that is waiting for you?” “I don’t intend to run away from it. I think it will keep till the Tritonia returns to the United States.” “Another of those letters is addressed to you. Will you leave that till to-morrow before you open it?” “Not at all. This one is from my uncle, Perry Bowman; and I am always glad to hear from him,” replied Tom, as he opened the letter. “‘Wonderful news for you, my dear boy,’” continued the first master, reading from the letter: “‘your uncle is dead, and has left you at least three millions of dollars: so much for bearing his name, for he wanted to preserve it after he was gone. You are to have the income of your money till you are twenty-five, and then a million every five years till you get the whole of it into your own hands. I have resigned my guardianship of you in favor of Judge Rodwood. I offered to pay over to him about four thousand dollars in my hands; but he declined to take it till you had formally named him as your guardian, as you have the right to do, so far as personal care is concerned. He advised me to pay over the money to you at once; and I send you a letter of credit for the amount. You may want it more before you get home than afterwards.’” “Howly St. Patrick!” exclaimed O’Hara, as Tom opened the valuable document alluded to. “You are measly with money.” “That paper will be convenient, wherever I happen to be,” said Tom, with a smile, as he put the letter of credit into his pocket-book. “I could have made a better use of it six months ago than I can now. I was poor as a church-mouse then, when most of the fellows were made of money.” “You can buy them all out now,” added O’Hara. “Now, what are you going to do about this business, my lad?” “I can’t do any thing now: it is too late for me to go to London,” replied Tom with a smile. “I see you are satisfied with the matter as it is.” “I am.” “But Judge Rodwood is over here in his steam-yacht for the purpose of following the squadron, if he don’t find it in European waters,” added the lieutenant. “I am willing he should follow it.” “When he begins to look into the matter, anybody in Gibraltar can tell him the fleet has gone to Madeira; and all he has to do is to follow you.” “I don’t object.” “Of course you don’t; but when he finds you, he will take you out of the vessel.” “I don’t believe he will, if I am not ready to leave her. Don’t my uncle Perry say I have the right to name my own guardian? if the judge don’t do the right thing, I will not consent to name him as my guardian. But when I tell him I prefer to stay in the Tritonia, if he is a reasonable man, as I think he is, he will not object.”