“I will be your friend, Ben. I am sure that you have been strictly honorable in this matter.”
“I am rich in friends,” said Ben smiling. “General Flint, an American, is in the hotel, and he has been of great service to me in arranging for the funeral.”
“Were you provided with money sufficient to defray the expenses?”
“Yes; Mrs. Harcourt supplied me with all that was needful.”
“Will you be ready to accompany me to Paris to-morrow? It is desirable that I should have your testimony as to my poor cousin’s death.”
“Yes, Mr. Wentworth, I am at your disposal.”
When General Flint learned that Ben was about to leave Geneva for Paris, he decided to go too.
“I should feel lonely without you, my lad,” he said. “Besides, you may need a friend.”
“I think Mr. Wentworth will be my friend, but I hope to have your friendship also.”
This was the letter that Basil Wentworth wrote to his uncle: