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。“