Craft gave no heed to this protest, but kept on:—
"You and your wife were rescued in an unconscious state, were you not, just as the fire was creeping up to you?"
The old man seemed to take delight in torturing his hearer by calling up painful memories. Receiving no answer to his question, he continued:—
"But the boy, the boy Ralph, he perished, didn't he? Was burned up in the wreck, wasn't he?"
"Stop!" exclaimed Burnham. "You have said enough. If you have any object in repeating this harrowing story, let me know what it is at once; if not, I have no time to listen to you further."
"I have an object," replied Craft, deliberately, "a most important object, which I will disclose to you if you will be good enough to answer my question. Your boy Ralph was burned up in the wreck at Cherry Bridge, wasn't he?"
"Yes, he was. That is our firm belief; what then?"
"Simply this, that you are mistaken."
"What do you mean?"
"Your boy is not dead."