It was not a long letter, but it was very satisfactory The finding of the gold was in itself, of course, a great thing; but the manner in which it was told, without triumph or exultation, but with an air of sober, industrious determination, was much more; and then there was a word or two at the end:  ’Dear father,—­I think of you every day, and am already looking forward to the time when I may return and see you again.’  As he read it, the tears rolled down his cheeks, and unluckily the old housekeeper came into the room at the same time.

‘Is it from Mr. John, sir?’

He had to recover himself, and to get rid of his tears, and to answer the old woman in an unconcerned tone, all in a moment, and it disconcerted him.

‘Yes,—­yes;’ he said.  ‘I’ll tell you all about it another time.’

‘Is he well, sir?’

’I daresay he is.  He doesn’t say.  It’s about business.  Didn’t you hear me say that I’d tell you another time?’ And so the old woman was turned out of the room, having seen the tear and heard the little gurgle in the throat.

‘He seems to be doing well,’ the Squire said to Mr. Holt.  ’He has got a couple of partners, and they have succeeded in finding gold.  He may probably come back some day; but I don’t suppose it will be for the next twenty years.’

After that he marked the posts, which he knew came from that part of the world by San Francisco, and had resolved not to expect anything by that of the next month,—­when there came, a day before its time, a much longer letter than the last.  In this there was given a detailed description of the ‘claim’ at Ahalala, which had already been named Folking.  Much was said of Mick, and much was said of Dick, both of whom were working ‘as steady as rocks.’  The number of ounces extracted were stated, with the amount of profits which had been divided.  And something was said as to the nature of their life at Ahalala.  They were still living under their original tent, but were meditating the erection of a wooden shanty.  Ahalala, the writer said, was not a place at which a prosperous miner could expect to locate himself for many years; but the prospects were good enough to justify some present attention to personal comforts.  All this was rational, pleasant, and straightforward.  And in the letter there was no tone or touch of the old quarrel.  It was full and cordial,—­such as any son might write to any father.  It need hardly be said that there was no mention made in it of Mrs. Smith.  It was written after the return of John Caldigate from Sydney to Ahalala, but contained no reference to any matrimonial projects.