e had realised all his fondest
dreams. When on his horse, he turned round, and, lifting his hat to her,
took a last glance. It could not have been otherwise, he said to
himself. He had been sure that she would grow up to be exactly that
which he had found her. To have supposed that Nature could have been
untrue to such promises as had been made then, would have been to
suppose Nature a liar.

Just outside the gate he met the old banker, who, according to his daily
custom, had walked back from the town. 'Yes,' said Mr. Bolton, 'I
remember you,--I remember you very well. So you found a lot of gold?'

'I got some.'

'You have been one of the few fortunate, I hear. I hope you will be able
to keep it, and to make a good use of it. My compliments to your father.
Good evening.'

'I shall take an early opportunity of paying my respects again to Mrs.
Bolton, who, I am sorry to hear, is not well enough to see me,' said
Caldigate, preventing the old curmudgeon from escaping with his intended
rapidity.

'She is unfortunately often an invalid, sir,--and feels therefore that
she has no right to exact from any one the ceremony of morning visits.
Good evening sir.'

But he cared not much for this coldness. Having found where the gold lay
at this second Ahalala,--that the gold was real gold,--he did not doubt
but that he would be able to make good his mining operations.

Chapter XV

Again At Pollington

On his arrival at Pollington, all the Shands welcomed him as though he
had been the successful son or successful brother who had gone out from
among them; and spoke of 'Poor Dick' as being the unsuccessful son or
unsuccessful brother,--as indeed he was. There did not seem to be the
slightest anger against him, in that he had thriven and had left Dick
behind him in such wretched poverty. There was no just ground for anger,
indeed. He was well aware of that. He had done his duty by Dick to the
best of his ability. But fathers and mothers are sometimes apt to think
that more should be done for their own children than a friend's best
ability can afford. These people, however, were reasonable. 'Poor Dick!'
'Isn't it sad?' 'I suppose when he's quite far away in the bush like
that he can't get it,'--by which last miserable shred of security the
poor mother allowed herself to be in some degree comforted.

'Now I want you to tell me,' said the father, when they were alone
together on the first evening, 'what is really his c