"However, so far as I see, that will be a while yet; and, in the mean time, I want you to give up old Peter, if you can do so honourably, and pin your faith on me. But as I am a reasonable man, and may not like you after all, when I do see you, I think it but fair to send you the enclosed notarial copy of a bond in your favour for L.10,000 sterling as a sort of compensation for the measure I recommend, _if you take it_; but which expresses in the body of it, as you see, that it is only to become onerous on me, when you arrive in my house here, after having made your election, as aforesaid. Now, Benjie, dear, if you are conscious that you are a gentlemanlike, pleasant, honourable young fellow, who can ride a bit, and shoot, and drink a bottle of claret now and then--alas! there are no foxhounds here--foxhounds in a parenthesis again, Tim--come to me and change your ploughshare into a pruning-hook--no, that's not it--your ploughshare into a billhook--no, and that's not it neither--your bill-hook into a pruning-hook--bah! botheration!--if you are all that I ask you, and what my nephew _ought to be_ by descent, and be d----d to him--if, in one word, _you are a gentleman_--come to me, man--come and comfort the poor, desolate, old fellow, who is pining in his helpless days for the want of something to love; and who, since he made up his mind to write for you, is every moment grappling you to his Irish heart, in joyous anticipation, with hooks of steel. Write me immediately, and follow yourself as soon as you can--or you may follow yourself first, if equally convenient, and let your letter come after--and enclosed you have also a draft on Mr M---- for 1000 dollars as earnest, and to clear you at Havanna. "Regards to Sir Oliver, who will by this time--no, write that time--_that_ is, by the time when he will get this--be with you, and to young Donovan--a prime boy that same Donovan would make, with a little training, as ever carried a shamrock in his hat-band, or a shillelah in his fist--and old Sprawl, I love the rum-looking, warm-hearted creature, because he likes you--what shall I ever dislike that you love, Benjie?--so, believe me, your attached uncle, "LATHOM FRENCHE. "P.S.--The post is just going off to Montego bay, so I have no time to have this corrected; nor, indeed, could I read it over if I had, as I have mislaid my spectacles--so excuse blunders." Here was a new vista opening up with a vengeance--so, after having read over the letter repeatedly, I determined to submit it at once to Mr Hudson, whom I knew to be a clear-headed man, notwithstanding his guessings and calculations, and friendly withal. He thought the advice given sound.