within against invisible assistants, a certain comely young native lady

in a sacque, who seemed too modest to be a member of the family, and too

imperious to be less; and then if such an one were whisked again through

space to Upper Tooting, or wherever else he honored the domestic gods,

"I have had a dream," I think he would say, as he sat up, rubbing his

eyes, in the familiar chimney-corner chair, "I have had a dream of a

place, and I declare I believe it must be heaven." But to Dodd and his

entertainer, all this amenity of the tropic night and all these dainties

of the island table, were grown things of custom; and they fell to meat

like men who were hungry, and drifted into idle talk like men who were a

trifle bored.

The scene in the club was referred to.

"I never heard you talk so much nonsense, Loudon," said the host.

"Well, it seemed to me there was sulphur in the air, so I talked for

talking," returned the other. "But it was none of it nonsense."

"Do you mean to say it was true?" cried Havens,--"that about the opium

and the wreck, and the blackmailing and the man who became your friend?"

"Every last word of it," said Loudon.

"You seem to have been seeing life," returned the other.

"Yes, it's a queer yarn," said his friend; "if you think you would like,

I'll tell it you."

Here follows the yarn of Loudon Dodd, not as he told it to his friend,

but as he subsequently wrote it.

THE YARN.

CHAPTER I. A SOUND COMMERCIAL EDUCATION.

The beginning of this yarn is my poor father's character. There

never was a better man, nor a handsomer, nor (in my view) a more

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