If his father had only given me a lump sum of
at least ten thousand pounds, as I begged him to do before he
died!--Our ship will be confiscated in Melbourne. The 'St. George'
does not belong to me but to my nephew, my ward.--Oh, if I only knew
how to get myself out of this predicament! One fortunate thing has
happened since the death of my brother. I have managed to get all the
books and accounts out of the way, and perhaps things will go better,
if I once get the boy in my power." These were the thoughts which
occupied the mind of John Brown, as, with downcast eyes and sullen
mien, he paced up and down the reception-room.
John Brown was the younger brother of George Brown, Willy's father.
Both men had received from their parents, in Dublin, a large amount of
money, but they had not managed it equally well. George, choosing to
go to sea had invested his in a merchantman, and in a short time
through prosperous voyages to the Indian and Chinese Seas doubled his
capital. In Hongkong he married a Catholic maiden, who unfortunately
died, leaving a child, Willy, now barely eight years old.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25