But Comethup was absolutely palpitating with questions. "But have you come down to see us? And how long do you stay? And when are you going back?"
Brian laughed, and shook his head. "I'm not going back," he said. "I don't quite understand it; all I know is that my aunt didn't like me, and she and dad almost had a fight about it, and called each other names. You never saw such a rumpus. And now we've come back, and it's all over." He laughed quite light-heartedly and good-naturedly, with no appreciation of the disaster.
"And you won't have the fortune?" said Comethup, looking at him with wide, distressful eyes.
"No, and I don't want it. I couldn't possibly have lived with her; you never saw such a woman. Why, she's quite blind, and goes feeling her way about with a stick. And if anything upsets her she swears, just as dad does; I really don't know which of them got the best of it. But I'm glad it's all over, although dad went on like a madman about it at first. But he'll get over that in time."
"And you won't go to London again?" said Comethup.
"No. But we had fun while it lasted. I believe dad went back to her house every day from the hotel to try and see her, and kept on ringing the bell until he found it was no use, and then we came back here. Of course I don't care a bit; I don't want her beastly money; but I'd liked to have stopped in London a little longer; it was jolly--would have been jollier if dad hadn't been in such a fury all the time. Good-night; we've only just got back, you know, and so I ran round to see you. Good-night!" He was off out of the garden and down the street almost before Comethup could gasp out a reply.
The true story of that visit to London, and its failure as a commercial speculation, only came out long afterward. Indeed, nothing in regard to it would have been known had not Mr. Robert Carlaw remembered that, in the first flush of his joy, he had unconsciously taken the captain into his confidence; to return, apparently beaten and without his purpose accomplished, would, he felt, discredit him in that gentleman's eyes; and he therefore hastened to give him some explanation, from his own point of view, at least. He paid a visit to the captain on the very evening of his arrival from London.