al value," said Andrew. "This box that we
have here is, I believe, the only thing of value that remained,
and, as you know, it was only discovered a few days since."

"But Kinlay appears to have known of it," observed Mr. Duke.

"Certainly he knew of it," the dominie returned; "but its value
consists in the papers it contains, most of them being in the
Danish language, which Kinlay was ignorant of. Had he known that
tongue he would doubtless have seen that a large number of the
documents are drafts upon the National Bank of Denmark, and other
claims of value."

"Very good, Andrew; we'll examine them afterwards," said the
magistrate. "There was no other wreckage? no other bodies washed
ashore?"

"No. It was while he was looking out for further remains of the
wreck that Sandy Ericson discovered Carver Kinlay in the Gaulton
Cave, and with him the child we know as Thora."

"Kinlay's own child, that is," observed the bailie.

"I believe not, Mr. Duke," said Andrew. "She is the daughter of
this Mr. Quendale, the owner of the wrecked ship."

"Indeed! You believe that, Andrew?"

"I firmly believe it."

"Had we not better send for Mrs. Kinlay, to hear what she has to
say on the matter?" said Mr. Duke.

"Mrs. Kinlay is dangerously ill. However, I was at Crua Breck
yesterday and saw her. It seems that when Sandy took the bairn to
her, she, in her excitement at its recovery, claimed it as her own.
There was no clothing on the child to identify it by, you see, and
she did not discover her mistake for some hours after Sandy had
gone. But Sandy had told her that Mr. Quendale was to return to
Pomona very soon, and Thora was kept there until her father should
come back."

"But, Andrew, man, how do you explain their keeping Thora and
bringing her up as their own bairn if, as you affirm, she was known
to be the daughter of other parents?"

"Simply in this way," said Mr. Drever; "Carver, you see, knew very
well that Mr. Quendale was expected back in Orkney. He kept the
girl, as his wife confesses, hoping for a ransom from so wealthy a
father. But having begun, very foolishly, by passing Thora off as
his own bairn, he was obliged to continue to recognize her as such
before folk, still believing that her true father would reappear."

Bailie Duke was not altogether satisfied with this explanation.

He turned to Thora and said: "Did Carver always treat you kindly,
Thora--as a father?"

Thora looked up appealingly to him, w