A week slipped away very pleasantly. Mr. Lindsay was considerably occupied by business, but he seemed satisfied to trust Maud to the companionship of Harry. Together they went about the city sight-seeing. They visited the several pleasure-grounds in the immediate neighborhood of the city, among them the Carlton and Fitzroy Gardens. Maud freely declared that she had never had so good a time in her life. Harry also enjoyed it; but every now and then the thought would force itself upon him that he ought to be doing something. At present he was penniless, and but for the liberality of Mr. Lindsay would have hardly known what to do. Besides this, he felt that he ought to be earning money to get home with. He could not help feeling anxious about his mother and sister.

So one evening, after they had returned from an excursion to the Yan Yean Water-works, about eighteen miles distant from the city, Harry ventured to ask an interview with Mr. Lindsay.

“Maud, you may go out a few minutes,” said her father, “while Harry speaks with me.”

“He won’t mind me. Will you, Harry?”

“A little,” said our hero.

“I didn’t know you had any secrets from me,” said Maud, reproachfully.

“The secret is not a very great one,” said Harry. “I may tell you afterwards.”

“Now, Harry,” said Mr. Lindsay, after Maud had left the room.

“I wanted to consult you about my plans, Mr. Lindsay,” said Harry. “I think I ought to go to work.”

“Are you discontented?”

“No, sir; you and Maud have been very kind, much kinder than I deserve. I don’t like to feel that you are paying all my expenses.”

“In return, you relieve me of a good deal of care by undertaking the charge of Maud. If I had not a great deal of confidence in you, I would not be willing to leave you together as much as I have.”

“Thank you for your confidence, Mr. Lindsay,” said Harry. “I hope you will find that I deserve it. I am glad if I have been able to make you any return for your kindness. Still I cannot help feeling, for my mother’s sake, that I ought to find something to do, in order that I may return home as soon as possible.”

“I might offer to pay your passage back to New York,” said Mr. Lindsay; “but if I were in your place, now that you are out here, I should wish to stay a few months. You may never again have a chance to visit Australia, and it is worth exploring. You can write to your mother, so as to relieve her from anxiety.”

“I have done so already,” said Harry.

“That’s well. Now have you any plans of your own? If you have, and will state them, I will give you my advice as to their wisdom.”

“I have been hearing a good deal of the gold mines,” said Harry, “and I think I should like to try my luck in them. Yesterday I saw a miner who had just returned to Melbourne, after working six months. In that time he made ten thousand dollars, which he brought with him. He is an American, and means to return to New York by the next steamer.”

“Yes, there are such cases of extraordinary luck; but I hope you won’t be too sanguine, or you will, in all probability, be disappointed. It is not every one who earns even a thousand dollars in that time.”

“I know that,” said Harry. “Still, my chance would be as good as any, and I might be lucky. At any rate, I have nothing to lose, and should see something of the country.”

“That is true. Well, when do you want to start?”

“I should like to start as soon as possible.”

“Let it be next Monday morning, then. I will take care that you don’t go empty-handed.”

“I don’t think you ought to give me so much, Mr. Lindsay.”

“Leave me to decide that. Now shall we call in Maud? I suppose she is tormented by curiosity to know what we are talking about.”

“The reason I did not want to speak before her was, that I was afraid she would urge me not to go away.”

“Yes, she will miss you very much; but we shall expect to hear from you, and to see you again soon, if only on a visit.”

As Harry anticipated, Maud strenuously opposed his plan; but our hero felt that, however pleasant it might be to remain, it was his duty to go. It was of course very agreeable to enjoy the luxurious accommodations of a first-class hotel; but all this was not advancing him in life, and, however kind Mr. Lindsay might be, he felt a degree of delicacy in living at his expense.

Monday morning soon came. Mr. Lindsay called Harry aside, and said:—

“My young friend, you will need some money to start with. In this purse you will find fifty sovereigns (about two hundred and fifty dollars in gold). I think it will support you till you can earn something.”

“But, Mr. Lindsay,” said Harry, quite overwhelmed by this munificent gift, “I ought not to accept so much money.”

“My young friend, when I was a boy, I met a friend who took an interest in me, and helped me on. I will try to do the same by you. I am a rich man and can afford it. Say no more about it, but if you need more, or get into any difficulty, let me know, and I will do what I can to help you.”

Our hero clasped the hand of the generous merchant warmly.

“I wish I knew how to thank you,” he said.

“You can do so, by justifying my good opinion of you, Harry,” said Mr. Lindsay, kindly.

“I will try to do that at least,” said Harry, earnestly. “I will never forget your generous kindness.”

That afternoon Harry started for the gold-diggings. He did not go alone. He was fortunate enough to fall in, at one of the hotels, with a man of middle age, a rough-looking man to appearance, but, as Harry afterwards discovered, a man of warm heart and much kindness. This was the way the acquaintance was made.

Harry overheard him speaking of the mines, from which he said he had only recently returned. When he had finished speaking, Harry said:—

“May I speak to you a minute, sir?”

“An hour if you like,” said the other, kindly.

“I wanted to ask you something about the mines.”

“Are you thinking of going there?” asked the stranger, surveying him attentively.

“Yes,” said Harry.

“It is a rough sort of life you will have to lead there, my boy.”

“I expect so, but I think I can rough it, for a time at least.”

“Well, if you have good pluck I have nothing to say. But it aint everybody that succeeds.”

“No, sir, I suppose not; but I have a chance.”

“At any rate I have no right to dissuade you, for I was successful.”

“Are you willing to tell me about it?”

“No objection at all. I was there four months. In the first three I didn’t pay expenses, but in the fourth month I more than made up for all my ill luck. How much do you think I’ve got lodged with my bankers here?”

“A thousand dollars?”

“A thousand dollars seven times over. Eight thousand dollars I cleared in that last month, and seven of it I have salted down.”

Harry’s eyes sparkled.

“I only wish I could be as fortunate,” he said, earnestly.

“What would you do with your money then?” asked the other.

“I would take care of my mother, and make her comfortable.”

“Tell me about your mother, that is, if you don’t mind. I’ve got nobody belonging to me, more’s the pity, and perhaps that’s the reason why I like to hear about other people’s relations.”

Harry thereupon began to relate his story, and, assured by the stranger’s manner that he was interested, kept on to the end.

“You’ve had bad luck, boy,” he said, at the end; “but maybe it’ll turn out for the best. Perhaps you have been sent to this out-of-the-way part of the world on purpose to make your fortune. Who knows?”

“I wish it might turn out so.”

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” said the stranger. “I didn’t mean to go back to the mines. Seven thousand dollars was enough for me; but I’ve a great mind to go back with you.”

“I wish you would,” said Harry. “I’d like to go with somebody that knows the mines, and can help me with his advice.”

“I will go then,” said the other, emphatically. “Now tell me when you want to go.”

“Next Monday.”

“That will suit me as well as any time. I’m beginning to get tired of the city. There is nothing to do here. There’s something in the wild, free life of the mines that I like. It’s agreed then; we’ll go together.”

“Yes,” said Harry, “and I am very glad that I have secured company.”

“So am I. There’s no one out there that I cared to make a friend of. It’s ‘every man for himself, and devil take your neighbor.’ Perhaps I was as bad as the rest. But I feel an interest in you, and whether you find any gold or don’t find any, you’ll need a friend. Perhaps you’ll need one more if you are successful than if you fail. What is your name?”

“Harry Raymond.”

“And mine is John Bush. I would give you my card if I had any, but they don’t care about such things at the mines. Will you take supper with me?”

“No, thank you; I shall be expected back.”

“Have a cigar, then?”

“I never smoke, Mr. Bush.”

“So much the better, Harry. But it’s second nature to me, and I can’t leave off. Let me see, what day is it?”

“Friday.”

“Then Monday we will start. Call and see me before that time.”

“I’ll call to-morrow afternoon.”

“Very good. We’ll arrange then all that needs arranging.”

So they parted.

Bush, as Harry saw, was rather rough in his manners, but he seemed kindly. He felt fortunate in meeting him, for his advice would be valuable, especially as he had been successful. Besides, as he began to understand, the undertaking upon which he was about to enter was one of difficulty and perhaps danger, especially for one so young, and he would be the better for a friend like Bush. He saw him again, as promised, on Saturday, and got a list of things which the miner informed him would be necessary.