"Carried what through, father?"
He started, and smiled, for his thoughts had evidently gone wandering to some distant place.
"I'm afraid it's too long a story to tell you to-night."
"No, no, father. I'm quite wide awake. And, indeed, I shall not sleep for the night, unless you tell me."
"I'm wide awake myself," he said, with a laugh. "By Jove! I feel as if I could dance. You can't imagine what a relief it is to me. Life will be worth living again."
"But what is it all about, father?"
"Oh, that clever dog, Penlogan, discovered a rich vein of ore in my ground, and he's given me all the benefit of the discovery. I've been hard up for a long time, as you know; been in the hands of sharks, in fact. I feel ashamed to tell you this, though I expect you have guessed. Well, thanks to Penlogan, I've shaken them off, got quite free of them. Now I'm free to go ahead."
"And has Ralph Penlogan done all this for nothing?"
"Absolutely. He wanted you when he came to see me at Boulogne, but I told him I'd see you buried first. Good heavens! I could have wrung his neck."
She smiled pathetically, but made no answer.