Finland bit his lip, and very nearly committed the indiscretion of rapping out a nautical oath. But as, in that religious household, such language would at once have put an end to all chances of his getting the money, he was wise enough to restrain himself. Shortly after this, Rachel arrived with Tera, in full possession of the whole story. The recital of it had excited her not a little, and during dinner she talked of nothing else. "I suppose you will go back with Jack to your own island," she said. "Yes," replied Tera, "as soon as we are married by Mr. Johnson." "Johnson? Oh! he won't marry us," said Jack, laughing. "I don't see how you can expect him to, Tera." "He is a minister." "He is also a man, my dear," observed Rachel; "and he is in love with you." "Let us trust that our pastor will be sensible," said Carwell, seriously; "now that his ward has reappeared, he is relieved from a grave danger." "Oh, Miss Arnott relieved him of that before," said Rachel, with a trifle of feminine spite; "indeed, he ought to marry her for all she has done for him." "It would be a good thing for Bethgamul," replied her father, reflectively, "for Miss Arnott is wealthy. If she became the wife of our pastor she could do much good with her money." "She is too old to marry my guardian," said Tera, doubtfully. "What does her age matter, child? She has a beautiful soul. A minister should not dwell unduly on the outward graces of womanhood." Jack looked at Tera's pretty face and laughed. Undeniably it was her comeliness that had attracted the minister, not her soul. He was about to make a remark to this effect, when the sound of wheels was heard, and the excited accents of a man with a lisp. Carwell went to the door, and found Inspector Chard and Mr. Moss descending from a trap. "My dear thir," cried the little Hebrew, running up with outstretched hands, "ith Mithter Finland here? Ith that girl with him? I've come about them pearlth." "Mr. Moss wants to know if the sale was quite regular," explained Mr. Chard, as the boy came up to take his horse; "so I brought him here to set his mind at rest." "Come in, come in," said Carwell, hospitably. "Tera and Jack can answer for themselves. Have you had dinner?" "No; I shall be glad of some." "I can't eat a mouthful until I know about the pearlth," said Moss, fussing into the house. "Oh, Mr. Finland, here you are. What about the pearlth?" "Well, what about them?" asked Jack, calmly. "Ith all right, the thale, ithn't it? You had a right to thell them?" "This lady will tell you that I had. The pearls were her property." "Mith! mith!" said the Jew, fluttering up to Tera, "did you give the pearlth to Mithter Finland?" "Yes. I asked him to sell them." "They were your own pearlth?" "My own pearls. I received them from my father, Buli, the High-Chief." Moss leered and rubbed one fat hand against the other. "I should like to do bithness with your father, mith. So that thale ith all right?"