Mr.Hardcastle raised his voice--"whose tender feet I have endeavored from his youth up, so far as lay in my limited power, to guide in the way that I hope he may never depart from.

This boy I now present to you, friends, a man,--this boy who has grown up among you, whom you all know, and whom I hope you all harbor some kindly feeling for,--this boy,"-- he put out his hand to draw him forward, Dick gave Jake a gentle push toward the hand and vanished, and Mr.Hardcastle, quite unconscious of the manoeuvre, drew the grinning Jake solemnly up to him, and casting around a look of triumph which seemed to say: Do better than this, friends, if you can, placed his hand on Jake's shoulder with his grandest air, and continued, sonorously,--"my son, ladies and gentlemen,--my son Dick." There was a moment's pause of consternation among the guests and a suppressed scream from the defrauded Mother Dexter.

Mr.Hardcastle slowly turned his radiant face toward his supposed son, and immediately dropped his hand and exclaimed, in entirely altered and most natural tones of amazement: "Well, I never! How in the world did _you_ get here, Jake Dexter ?" A shout instantly went up all round; even Mr.Hardcastle himself was overcome with the ludicrousness of the mistake, and further solemnity being impossible, a signal was given, and from a barge far out on the water a score of rockets shot hissing into the air, announcing the beginning of fireworks.

A brilliant display of these followed, closing the evening's entertainment, and immediately afterward a large raft was towed up to the landing, and the whole merry party embarked and returned to Joppa together, the band following on another boat and treating them to music all the way.

Halloway stood near Gerald in the crowd, but he did not attempt to join her until the raft reached the pier and was made fast.