“Then I shall come,” I said, firmly. “Not with you. I shall go by sea.”

“You will go?” cried Mr John, looking at me wonderingly.

“Yes, sir; and perhaps I shall get there first.”

“But, my dear boy, how?”

“I don’t know, sir,” I said, laughing; “I am going to talk to a man I know, and—Oh, I had forgotten!”

“Forgotten what?”

“Esau,” I said, “the lad who worked with me in the office.”

Mr John looked at his wife in a perplexed way.

“Let us think about it all,” said Mrs John. “This companion of yours—Esau—do you like him?”

“Oh, yes,” I cried; “he has always been most kind, and he wants to go with me—for us to be together.”