"Well?"
"To begin with, will you read this? It's from Ethel Hillyard, whom I met in London. You have heard me speak of her."
She gave him a letter containing sufficient information about the house of Allinson to explain why Andrew had gone to Canada. His character and his relations with Hathersage and the rest of the family were cleverly sketched. Frobisher studied it carefully before he looked up.
"All this is not exactly new to me, though Miss Hillyard, who seems to be a shrewd young lady, speaks strongly in Allinson's favor. From odd things he let fall, I'd formed a pretty good idea of the situation. Now that you have cleared the ground, you had better go on."
"Father," said Geraldine, "so far, you have done nearly everything I asked you, and that is why I'm not afraid to ask for something else. I want you to send up a party to look for Mr. Allinson. He and the others are in danger of starving in the snow."
Frobisher looked at her searchingly, and she met his gaze for a moment, though a flush crept into her face.
"Well," he said simply, "he is a straight man."
"And a friend of yours. But you will send him help at once?"
"First of all, tell me why you think it is needful."
Geraldine spent some time over the explanation and concluded: