"The hour is at hand; the clock has jarred and is silent again, but the gear murmurs on in the darkness, waiting for the silver chiming of the bell.
"I am your friend always,
"B.
"TEHERAN,
"Midsummer."
"A curious document," I said.
"Yes," said Arthur, musingly; "curious too, as literally true." And he pointed to the boy holding the lamp.
"Edward," he said to the boy, "put back that lamp, and come here and speak to me."
The boy went quickly and promptly, delighting in little acts of obedience, as the young do.
When he returned, Arthur said, "Your father says in this letter that you are to be my son for the future. Will you? are you content to change?"
"Yes," said the boy, shyly; but he came and leant against his new father's shoulder where he sat, and, in the pretty demonstrative manner so natural to unsophisticated children, encircled his arm with his hands.
Arthur put his arm round the boy's neck, and stroked his hair caressingly.
"Very well," he said, "then you must always obey me as well as you did just now; and we will make an Englishman of you, and, what is more, a good man."