Agatha gave him a thoughtful look.  “Is Florence well?”

“Quite well.  She’s disturbed about you.”

“Then it’s probably business!  I suppose trade is bad?”

George lost his self-control.  He was glad to see her back, but remembered what he had suffered for her sake.

“My business doesn’t occupy all my thoughts and you have made a blamed poor joke!  Here am I and your friends, trying to grapple with an awkward situation and puzzling how we’re to help you out, and you laugh.  So far as I can see, there’s nothing humorous—­”

“Don’t be cross,” Agatha interrupted.  “I don’t need helping out.  If business isn’t very good, I can offer you a post.”

George made an abrupt movement and looked hard at her.  Farnam laughed softly, and his wife leaned forward.

“You see, I’ve found the lode.  It’s richer than I thought,” Agatha resumed.

There was silence for a few moments, and then George said:  “I want time to get hold of this.  You found the ore the old man talked about!  It’s not another stupid joke?”

“Not at all.  Father located the vein on his last journey and left a paper with directions.  Mr. Thirlwell found it in his tobacco-box.  The directions were not complete and we had some trouble—­but we’ll talk about this later.  The claim is recorded and Mr. Thirlwell has gone back to begin the development.  Mr. Scott, his employer, is coming to see you.”

“Well,” said George dully, “I’ll own I’ve got a knock.  I reckoned if there was a lode, it would never be found.  Looks as if I didn’t know as much as I thought.  But that’s not all.  Since I was old enough to guess my mother’s fears I did the old man wrong.  He’s made good.  I doubted, but you knew him best and you believed.”

“Agatha’s tired,” Mrs. Farnam broke in.  “She needs a rest and I’m going to get her some food.  You can ask her what you like when I bring her back.”

“I suppose you want to satisfy your curiosity first,” Farnam suggested.

“We’re not going to talk about mining,” Mrs. Farnam rejoined.  “However, I must do you justice; you took Agatha’s side from the first.  After all, your judgment’s good now and then.”

She took Agatha away and when they had gone George remarked:  “I can’t grip the thing yet.  It’s hard to get rid of a fixed idea you’ve had from boyhood.  Still I ought to have known that Agatha wouldn’t undertake a job she couldn’t put over.”

It was getting dark when Mrs. Farnam and the girl came back, and George said, “Now I want to know all about your trip.  Begin where you left the cars and go right on.”

“That will take some time,” Mrs. Farnam interposed.  “Shall I light the lamp in the room?”

“I think not,” said Agatha, and smiled.  “My story goes best with the twilight in the open.  We had no lamps and pretty furniture in the bush.”