How great had been the chance against his being Squire of Folking when he started with Dick Shand to look for Australian gold! And how little had been the chance of his calling Hester Bolton his wife when he was pledging his word to Mrs.
Smith on board the Goldfinder! But now it had all come round to him just as he would have had it.

There was his wife up-stairs in the big bed-room with her baby,--the wife as to whom he had made that romantic resolution when he had hardly spoken to her; and there had been the bells ringing and the tenants congratulating him, and everything had been pleasant.

His father who had so scorned him,--who in the days of Davis and Newmarket had been so well justified in scorning him,--was now his closest friend.

Thinking of all this, he told himself that he had certainly received better things than he had deserved.
A day or two after the birth of the baby Mrs.Robert came out to see the new prodigy, and on the following day Mrs.Daniel.

Mrs.Robert was, of course, very friendly and disposed to be in all respects a good sister-in-law.