Mr。Dingwallelevatedhiseyebrows。“Thelargepropertyatstakeofcourserenderedthemostsatisfactoryproofsofitnecessary。
Hisfatherhaddiedonlyamonthprevious，andofcoursetheywereseekingthepresumptiveheir，theso-called’CaptainJohnDornton’——
yourman——whentheymadethediscoveryofhisdeath。“
Randolphthoughtofthestrangebodyatthewharf，ofthecoroner’svagueverdict，andwasunconvinced。“But，“hesaidimpulsively，“therewasachild。“HecheckedhimselfasherememberedthiswasoneofMissAvondale’sconfidencestohim。
“Ah——MissAvondalehasspokenofachild？“saidMr。Dingwalldryly。
“IsawherwithonewhichshesaidwasCaptainDornton’s，whichhadbeenleftinhercareafterthedeathofhiswife，“saidRandolphinhurriedexplanation。
“JohnDorntonhadnoWIFE，“saidMr。Dingwallseverely。“Theboyisanaturalson。CaptainJohnlivedawild，rough，and——er——aneccentriclife。“
“Ithought——IunderstoodfromMissAvondalethathewasmarried，“
stammeredtheyoungman。
“InyourratherslightacquaintancewiththatyoungladyIshouldimagineshewouldhavehadsomedelicacyintellingyouotherwise，“
returnedMr。Dingwallprimly。
Randolphfeltthetruthofthis，andwasmomentarilyembarrassed。
Yethelingered。
“HasMissAvondaleknownofthisdiscoverylong？“heasked。
“Abouttwoweeks，Ishouldsay，“returnedMr。Dingwall。“ShewasofsomeservicetoSirWilliamingettingupcertainproofsherequired。“
ItwasthreeweekssinceshehadseenRandolph，yetitwouldhavebeeneasyforhertocommunicatethenewstohim。Inthesethreeweekshisromanceoftheircommoninterestinhisbenefactor——evenhisowndreamofeverseeinghimagain——hadbeenutterlydispelled。
ItwasinnosocialhumorthathereachedDingwall’shousethenextevening。Yetheknewthedifficultyoftakinganaggressiveattitudetowardhispreviousidolorofinvitingafullexplanationfromherthen。
Theguests，withtheexceptionofhimselfandMissAvondale，wereallEnglish。She，self-possessedandcharmingineveningdress，noddedtohimwithherusualmaturepatronage，butdidnotevincetheleastdesiretoseekhimforanyconfidentialaside。HenoticedtheundoubtedresemblanceofSirWilliamDorntontohismissingbenefactor，andyetitproducedasingularrepulsioninhim，ratherthananysympatheticpredilection。AttablehefoundthatMissAvondalewasseparatedfromhim，beingseatedbesidethedistinguishedguest，whilehewasplacednexttotheyoungladyhehadtakendown——aMissEversleigh，thecousinofSirWilliam。Shewastall，andRandolph’sfirstimpressionofherwasthatshewasstiffandconstrained——animpressionhequicklycorrectedatthesoundofhervoice，herfrankingenuousness，andherunmistakableyouth。InthehabitofbeingcrushedbyMissAvondale’sunrelentingsuperiority，hefoundhimselfapparentlygrowingupbesidethistallEnglishgirl，whohadthenaiveteofachild。
Afterafewcommonplacesshesuddenlyturnedhergrayeyesonhis，andsaid，——
“Didn’tyoulikeJack？Ihopeyoudid。Oh，sayyoudid——do！“
“YoumeanCaptainJohnDornton？“saidRandolph，alittleconfused。
“Yes，ofcourse；HISbrother“——glancingtowardSirWilliam。“WealwayscalledhimJack，thoughIwaseversolittlewhenhewentaway。NoonethoughtofcallinghimanythingelsebutJack。Sayyoulikedhim！“
“Icertainlydid，“returnedRandolphimpulsively。Thencheckinghimself，headded，“Ionlysawhimonce，butIlikedhisfaceandmanner——and——hewasverykindtome。“
“Ofcoursehewas，“saidtheyounggirlquickly。“Thatwasonlylikehim，andyet“——loweringhervoiceslightly——“wouldyoubelievethattheyallsayhewaswildandwickedanddissipated？Andwhy？
Fancy！Justbecausehedidn’tcaretostayathomeandshootandhuntandraceandmakedebts，asheirsusuallydo。No，hewantedtoseetheworldanddosomethingforhimself。Why，whenhewasquiteyoung，hecouldmanageaboatlikeanysailor。DorntonHall，theirplace，isonthecoast，youknow，andtheysaythat，justforadventure’ssake，afterhewentaway，heshippedasfirstmatesomewhereoverhereonthePacific，andmadetwoorthreevoyages。
Youknow——don’tyou？——andhoweveryonewasshockedatsuchconductintheheir。“
Herfacewassogirlishlyanimated，withsuchsparkleofeyeandresponsivecolor，thathecouldhardlyreconcileitwithherfirstrestraintorwithhisacceptedtraditionsofherunemotionalrace，or，indeed，withherrelationshiptotheprincipalguest。Hislatentfeelingofgratitudetothedeadmanwarmedundertheyounggirl’svoice。
“It’ssodreadfultothinkofhimasdrowned，youknow，thougheventhattheyputagainsthim，“shewentonhurriedly，“fortheysayhewasprobablydrownedinsomedrunkenfit——fellthroughthewharforsomethingshockingandawful——worsethansuicide。But“——sheturnedherfrankyoungeyesuponhimagain——“YOUsawhimonthewharfthatnight，andyoucouldtellhowhelooked。“
“HewasassoberasIwas，“returnedRandolphindignantly，asherecalledtheincidentoftheflaskandthedeadman’scaution。
Fromrecallingittorepeatingitfollowednaturally，andhepresentlyrelatedthewholestoryofhismeetingwithCaptainDorntontothebrightlyinterestedeyesbesidehim。Whenhehadfinished，sheleanedtowardhimingirlishconfidence，andsaid:——
“Yes；butEVENTHATtheytelltoshowhowintoxicatedbemusthavebeentohavegivenuphisportmanteautoanutterstrangerlikeyou。“Shestopped，colored，andyet，reflectinghisownhalfsmile，sheadded:“YouknowwhatImean。Fortheyallagreehowniceitwasofyounottotakeanyadvantageofhiscondition，andDingwallsaidyourhonestyandfaithfulnessstruckRevelstokesomuchthathemadeaplaceforyouatthebank。NowIthink，“shecontinued，withdelightfulnaivete，“itwasaproofofpoorJack’sBEINGPERFECTLYSOBER，thatheknewwhomhewastrusting，andsawjustwhatyouwere，atonce。There！ButIsupposeyoumustnottalktomeanylonger，butmustmakeyourselfagreeabletosomeoneelse。Butitwasveryniceofyoutotellmeallthis。Iwishyouknewmyguardian。You’dlikehim。DoyouevergotoEngland？Docomeandseeus。“
Theseconfidenceshadnotbeenobservedbytheothers，andMissAvondaleappearedtoconfineherattentionstoSirWilliam，whoseemedtobeequallyabsorbed，exceptthatonceheliftedhiseyestowardRandolph，asifinanswertosomeremarkfromher。ItstruckRandolphthathewasthesubjectoftheirconversation，andthisdidnottendtoallaytheirritationofamindalreadywoundedbythecontrastofHERlackofsympathyforthedeadmanwhohadbefriendedandtrustedhertothesimplefaithofthegirlbesidehim，whowasstillloyaltoamerechildishrecollection。
Aftertheladieshadrustledaway，SirWilliammovedhisseatbesideRandolph。HismannerseemedtocombineMr。Dingwall’srestraintwithacertainassumptionofthemanoftheworld，morenotableforitsfranknessthanitstactfulness。
“Sadbusinessthisofmybrother’s，eh，“hesaid，lightingacigar；
“anywayyoutakeit，eh？Yousawhimlast，eh？“Theinterrogatingword，however，seemedtobeonlyanexclamationofhabit，forheseldomwaitedforananswer。
“Ireallydon’tknow，“saidRandolph，“asIsawhimonlyONCE，andheleftmeonthewharf。Iknownomorewherehewenttothenthanwherehecamefrombefore。Ofcourseyoumustknowalltherest，andhowhecametobedrowned。“
“Yes；itreallydidnotmattermuch。Thewholequestionwasidentificationandproofofdeath，youknow。Beastlyjob，eh？“
“WasthathisbodyYOUwerehelpingtogetashoreatthewharfoneSunday？“askedRandolphbluntly，nowfullyrecognizingthelikenessthathadpuzzledhiminSirWilliam。“Ididn’tseeanyresemblance。“
“Preciousfewwould。Ididn’t——thoughit’strueIhadn’tseenhimforeightyears。Pooroldchapbeenknockedaboutsohehadn’tafeatureleft，eh？Buthisshipmateknewhim，andtherewerehistrapsontheship。“
Then，forthefirsttime，RandolphheardthegrimandsordiddetailsofJohnDornton’smysteriousdisappearance。HehadarrivedthemorningbeforethateventfuldayonanAustralianbarkastheprincipalpassenger。Thevesselitselfhadanevilrepute，andwasbelievedtohaveslippedfromthehandsofthepoliceatMelbourne。
JohnDorntonhadevidentlyamassedaconsiderablefortuneinAustralia，althoughanexaminationofhispapersandeffectsshowedittobeindraftsandlettersofcreditandshares，andthathehadnoreadymoney——afactborneoutbythetestimonyofhisshipmates。Thenighthearrivedwasspentinanorgyonboardship，whichhedidnotleaveuntiltheearlyeveningofthenextday，although，afterhiserraticfashion，hehadorderedaroomatahotel。Thateveninghetookashoreaportmanteau，evidentlyintendingtopassthenightathishotel。Hewasneverseenagain，althoughsomeofthesailorsdeclaredthattheyhadseenhimonthewharfWITHOUTTHEPORTMANTEAU，andtheyhaddrunktogetheratalowgrogshoponthestreetcorner。Hehadevidentlyfallenthroughsomeholeinthewharf。Ashewasseenonlywiththesailors，whoalsoknewhehadnoreadymoneyonhisperson，therewasnosuspicionoffoulplay。
“Forallthat，don’tyouknow，“continuedSirWilliam，withaforcedlaugh，whichstruckRandolphasnotonlydiscordant，butashavinganinsolentsignificance，“itmighthavebeenadeucedbadbusinessforYOU，eh？Lastmanwhowaswithhim，eh？Inpossessionofhisportmanteau，eh？Wearinghisclothes，eh？
Awfullycleverofyoutogostraighttothebankwithit。’Ponmyword，mylegalmanwantedtopouncedownonyouas’accessory’
untilIandDingwallcalledhimoff。Butit’sallrightnow。“
Randolph’santagonismtothemanincreased。“Theinvestigationseemstohavebeenpeculiar，“hesaiddryly，“for，ifIrememberrightly，atthecoroner’sinquestonthebodyIsawyouwith，theverdictreturnedwasofthedeathofanUNKNOWNman。“