"Five hundred, in bank notes of tens and twenties,"--he responded with business-like brevity. "Five hundred! My dear fellow, I don't want all that. It's too much!" "Better have too much than too little nowadays,"--he retorted with a laugh--"My dear Tempest, don't make such a business of it. Five hundred pounds is really nothing. You can spend it all on a dressing-case for example. Better send back John Carrington's draft,--I don't think much of his generosity considering that he came into a mine worth a hundred thousand pounds sterling, a few days before I left Australia." I heard this with great surprise, and, I must admit with a slight feeling of resentment too. The frank and generous character of my old chum 'Boffles' seemed to darken suddenly in my eyes,--why could he not have told me of his good fortune in his letter? Was he afraid I might trouble him for further loans? I suppose my looks expressed my thoughts, for Rimânez, who had observed me intently, presently added-- "Did he not tell you of his luck? That was not very friendly of him--but as I remarked last night, money often spoils a man." "Oh I daresay he meant no slight by the omission," I said hurriedly, forcing a smile--"No doubt he will make it the subject of his next letter. Now as to this five hundred"-- "Keep it, man, keep it"--he interposed impatiently--"What do you talk about security for? Haven't I got _you_ as security?" I laughed. "Well, I am fairly reliable now"--I said--"And I'm not going to run away." "From _me_?" he queried, with a half cold half kind glance; "No,--I fancy not!" He waved his hand lightly and left me, and I, putting the leather case of notes in my inner breast-pocket, hailed a hansom and was driven off rapidly to Basinghall Street where my solicitors awaited me. Arrived at my destination, I sent up my name, and was received at once with the utmost respect by two small chips of men in rusty black who represented 'the firm.' At my request they sent down their clerk to pay and dismiss my cab, while I, opening Lucio's pocket book, asked them to change me a ten-pound note into gold and silver which they did with ready good-will. Then we went into business together. My deceased relative, whom I had never seen as far as I myself remembered, but who had seen me as a motherless baby in my nurse's arms, had left me everything he possessed unconditionally, including several rare collections of pictures, jewels and curios. His will was so concisely and clearly worded that there were no possibilities of any legal hair-splitting over it,--and I was informed that in a week or ten days at the utmost everything would be in order and at my sole disposition.