a should not even be suggested to her daughter. Nor, up to this time,
had our hero's name been even mentioned to Hester Bolton.

About a week after Caldigate's visit to Chesterton in the early days of
August, he wrote to Robert Bolton saying that he was going into Scotland
for a month, and that he trusted that during that time his proposition
might be considered. On his return he would take the liberty of calling
on Mr. Bolton at the bank. In the meantime he hoped that inquiries might
be made as to his position in the world, and in order that such
inquiries might be effectual he gave a reference to his man of business
in London. To this letter Robert Bolton sent no answer; but he went up
to London, and did make the inquiries as suggested, and consulted his
brother the barrister, and his sister-in-law the barrister's wife. They
were both of opinion that John Caldigate was behaving well, and were of
opinion also that something should be done to liberate Hester from the
thraldom of her mother. 'I knew how it would be when she grew up and
became a woman,' said Mrs. William Bolton. 'Nobody will be allowed to
see her, and she won't have a chance of settling herself. When we asked
her to come up here for a couple of months in the season, Mrs. Bolton
sent me word that London is a terrible place for young girls,--though,
of course, she knew that our own girls were being brought up here.' Then
the ways of Mrs. Bolton at Chesterton and Hester's future life generally
were discussed in a spirit that was by no means unfriendly to our hero.

The suggested inquiries were made in the city, and were all favourable.
Everyone connected with the mining interests of the Australian colonies
knew the name of John Caldigate. All of that class of people were well
aware of his prosperity and confirmed good-fortune. He had brought with
him or sent home nobody quite knew how much money. But it was very well
known that he had left his interest in the Polyeuka mine to be sold for
L60,000, and now there had come word that a company had created itself
for the sake of making the purchase, and that the money would be
forthcoming. The gentleman in the city connected with mining matters did
not think that Mr. Caldigate would be called upon to go out to the
colony again, unless he chose to do so for his own pleasure. All this
Robert Bolton learned in the City, and he learned also that the man as
to whom he was making inquiry was held in high esteem for hones