At this meal, moreover, the three of them appeared to be in the best of spirits.
Morris noted all these things in his quiet, observant way, and from them drew certain conclusions of his own.

But he shrank from making inquiries, nor did the Colonel offer any confidences.

After all, why should he, who had never meddled with his father's business, choose this moment to explore it, especially as he knew from previous experience that such investigations would not be well received?
It was one of the Colonel's peculiarities to keep his affairs to himself until they grew so bad that circumstances forced him to seek the counsel or the aid of others.

Still, Morris could well guess from what mine the money was digged that caused so comfortable a change in their circumstances, and the solution of this mystery gave him little joy.

Cash in consideration of an unconcluded marriage; that was how it read.