"Never look at the darkest side, lad. There is a kind Providence over all, and we must never despair. Now, our very first task must be to obtain your travelling trunks without delay."
Mr. St. Clive lost no time in putting this resolution into practice. The trunks were got down from London, and opened; but, to their disappointment, their contents revealed nothing which tended in any way to throw a light upon the mystery—clothing, a few mementoes of their Texan home, and—and in view of Ralph's future welfare this was most important—banknotes and gold to the amount of £3,000!
"No need to feel yourself dependent upon any one now, Ralph," was the remark of Mr. St. Clive, as they counted this money; "and no need to give another thought to Lord Elgert's suspicions. People possessed of so much money do not go breaking into houses, risking their liberty for the sake of what they may be able to steal."
Now, though Irene St. Clive was delighted, and would have been quite content for Ralph to have stayed as her companion, her father did not look at matters in that way; and he had a serious talk with Ralph, having first quietly questioned him in order to ascertain his acquirements.
"You see, Ralph," he said, "what a man needs in England is quite different from what he may need abroad. You can ride, shoot, and round up cattle; but that is no good here. Your father has given you a general education, so that you are not a dunce; but it is nothing like what you will need as a gentleman here. Knowledge is power and your desire to clear up the matter of your father's disappearance demands that you should acquire all the power obtainable. My advice—I have no right to insist, remember—but my advice is that you should spend a couple of years at a first-class school—we have a splendid one here—and if you work honestly during that time, with your intellect you ought to have made a good headway. What do you say?"
The boy knit his brows. To one who had passed his days in a wild, free life, such a prospect did not hold out many charms; but then Ralph was fond of learning, and had sometimes sighed that he could not learn more. Besides, his one object in life was to solve the matter of his father's disappearance, and clear his name from any foul charge. In his heart, Ralph had resolved ever to live under honour's flag. He looked up, and answered frankly—
"I will be guided entirely by you, sir, unless my father comes back; then, of course, I should do whatever he directed."
"My feeling is, that had your father elected to remain in England he would certainly have sent you to school. Now, Ralph, I am going to be frank with you. We have, as I have said, a splendid school near here; but amongst its pupils is Horace Elgert. I fear that he takes after his father somewhat; and if Lord Elgert has said anything, or does say anything to him when he knows you are there, young Horace may try to make it unpleasant for you. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly, sir," replied Ralph.
"And will you go there?"