Obedient to the wish, out walked Sophy, the English nurse, a scraggy woman, with a very cocked nose and thin, pinched lips, and an air of respectability and pertness mingled.  She dropped a short courtesy, shot the glance of a basilisk at Ucatella, and said stiffly, “You are welcome home, ma’am.”  Then she took the little boy as one having authority.  Not that Phoebe would have surrendered him; but just then Mr. Falcon strolled out, with a cigar in his mouth, and Phoebe, with her heart in her mouth, flew to meet him.  There was a rapturous conjugal embrace, followed by mutual inquiries; and the wagon drew up at the door.  Then, for the first time, Falcon observed Staines, saw at once he was a gentleman, and touched his hat to him, to which Christopher responded in kind, and remembered he had done so in the locked-up past.

Phoebe instantly drew her husband apart by the sleeve.  “Who do you think that is?  You’ll never guess.  ’Tis the great doctor that saved Dick’s life in England with cutting of his throat.  But, oh, my dear, he is not the man he was.  He is afflicted.  Out of his mind partly.  Well, we must cure him, and square the account for Dick.  I’m a proud woman at finding him, and bringing him here to make him all right again, I can tell you.  Oh, I am happy, I am happy.  Little did I think to be so happy as I am.  And, my dear, I have brought you a whole sackful of newspapers, old and new.”

“That is a good girl.  But tell me a little more about him.  What is his name?”

“Christie.”

“Dr. Christie?”

“No doubt.  He wasn’t an apothecary, or a chemist, you may be sure, but a high doctor, and the cleverest ever was or ever will be:  and isn’t it sad, love, to see him brought down so?  My heart yearns for the poor man:  and then his wife—­the sweetest, loveliest creature you ever—­oh!” Phoebe stopped very short, for she remembered something all of a sudden; nor did she ever again give Falcon a chance of knowing that the woman, whose presence had so disturbed him, was this very Dr. Christie’s wife.  “Curious!” thought she to herself, “the world to be so large, and yet so small:”  then aloud, “They are unpacking the wagon; come, dear.  I don’t think I have forgotten anything of yours.  There’s cigars, and tobacco, and powder, and shot, and bullets, and everything to make you comfortable, as my duty ’tis; and—­oh, but I’m a happy woman.”

Hottentots, big and little, clustered about the wagon.  Treasure after treasure was delivered with cries of delight; the dogs found out it was a joyful time, and barked about the wheeled treasury; and the place did not quiet down till sunset.