The clerk took the news philosophically, remarking that the wonder would have been had Willy received the letters, seeing that he seemed to move about incessantly from place to place.
Close upon this came another letter, written apparently in haste.

Willy's "fortune" had turned into reality at last; he was coming home with more gold than he could count; had taken his berth in the good ship _Morning Star_, and should come off at once to Calne, when the ship reached Liverpool.

There was a line written inside the envelope, as though he had forgotten to include it in the letter: "I have had one from you at last; the first you wrote, it seems.

Thank dad for what he has done for me.
I'll make it all square with him when I get home." This had reference to a fact which Calne did not know.

In that unhappy second visit of Clerk Gum's to London, he _did_ succeed in appeasing the wrath of Goldsworthy and Co., and paid in every farthing of the money.
How far he might have accomplished this but for being backed by the urgent influence of old Lord Hartledon, was a question.