CHAPTER XXXI.

CASIMIR RESUMES HIS ENTERPRISE.

HAVE now given some account of the principal events which had occurred at home while Lord Glenant

and Ruth were engaged in their rescue of the old Count and his companions.

Lord Glenant and his party, though having a longer distance to traverse, had outstripped Ruth and her party, and had reached England two or three weeks before their arrival. He was the bearer of good news; or at any rate his news was good so far as it went. Shortly afterwards there came a letter from Ruth to Casimir, written very guardedly, in case it should be opened in its transit, a day or two after they had escaped

from the clutches of the Russian governor of

which letter gave assurance that their journey had up to that time been prosperous. Under these circumstances, Casimir's general health began to improve rapidly, and an improvement in his eyesight followed upon the general improvement of his health. With renewed health came renewed interest and vigour in his studies and preparations for emigration; and he was actively employed in such studies when the party from Russia returned.

The meeting between the father and the son was most tender and affecting. The Professor and Bettina were also welcomed by the young man with all the affection that had subsisted amongst the principal members of the Count's household throughout Count Casimir's childhood and youth.

Casimir discussed his plans of emigration with his father, informing him at the same time of his wish, if his father would permit him, and would accompany him, to commence the enterprise at once. The old Count had been tho

roughly prepared for this resolve by his son's letters. Knowing his son's character well, he had foreseen for some time that Casimir would desire to lead a colony into distant lands. The Count without hesitation gave his consent, and said he would accompany his son. It was also agreed that the Professor and Bettina should go too.

Although the Maremmas were now greatly impoverished, their estates having been confiscated, the old Count, as we have said before, had been provident enough to purchase in former years jewels and plate of considerable value, which he had succeeded in bringing away with him, and which would, he said, furnish sufficient funds, at any rate, to launch the enterprise; and besides, Lord Lochawe had said that he would provide anything which would be likely to promote the success of the expedition. Count, for there is no father who is not a little worldly for his son, ventured to make a suggestion to Casimir about the advantage of a marriage with his cousin Alice; but this suggestion was coldly, though affectionately and re

The

spectfully, put aside by the young man; and the father saw at once that this was not a part of his scheme which could be carried out.

Previously to his father's arrival, Casimir had communicated to Lord Lochawe his intention of emigrating. The Earl did not make much resistance to it. He had now both Lord Glenant and Charles Ashurst to push forward in the political world; and, though he loved Casimir as much as ever, the future of the young man was not a matter of such absorbing interest to the Earl as it had been.

Nothing remained now but to complete the preparations necessary for Count Casimir's enterprise. The principal difficulty, as the reader will have gathered, was not so much the providing the money, as the men and women who should be chosen as fit persons to form the main body of the emigrants. This had been one of the subjects that had occasioned the most anxious thought to Casimir. Two chief sources had occurred to him from which he might draw the human material for his enterprise. One was

the estate surrounding Loudenham Castle-Lord Lochawe's residence in Scotland,-from which he would bring his labourers; and the other was, that miserable part of London, where he had himself resided as a workman, and where he hoped to find his artisans.

He had also, with Mr. Thurston's aid, been for some time upon the look out for young men of the higher classes, chiefly professional men, whom he could persuade to accompany him. In this he had been very successful, for there are many young men in England, well-educated and well-conditioned, desiring nothing so much as even the chance of a career, and who are therefore willing to cast in their lot with a man such as Casimir Maremma, who could promise to lead them to new lands, and whom they felt to be a leader worthy in every respect to conduct such an enterprise.

It remains to be seen how he fared in his

endeavour to gain his artisans and his labourers from the two places whence he had resolved, in the first instance, to seek for them.