On the whole, he could not be absolutely sure that he desired to get much nearer. Though he failed to admit this clearly, his attitude was largely one of respectful admiration with a vein of compassion in it. Evelyn was unhappy, and out of harmony with her relatives, which he could understand more readily because their ideas often jarred on him. He had been back at the Dene a fortnight, when one morning he walked out of the hamlet where the wheelwright's shop was with a telegram in his hand. Sitting down on the wall of a bridge close by, he turned to Carroll, who had accompanied him. "I think you have Nairn's code in your wallet," he said. "We'll decipher the thing." Carroll laid the message upon a smooth stone and set to work with a pencil. "'Situation highly satisfactory,'" he read aloud, and commented: "It must be, if Nairn paid for another word; 'highly's' not in the code." Then he went on with the deciphering: "'Result of reduction exceeds anticipations. Stock, 30 premium. Your presence not immediately required.'" "That's distinctly encouraging," said Vane. "Now they're getting farther in, the ore must be carrying more silver." "It's fortunate. I ran through the bank account last night, and you have spent a lot of money. It confirms my opinion that you have expensive friends." Vane frowned at this, but Carroll continued undeterred: "You want pulling up after the way you have been indulging in a reckless extravagance, which I feel compelled to point out is new to you. The cheque drawn in favour of Gerald Chisholm rather astonished me. Have you said anything about it to his relatives?" "I haven't," Vane answered shortly. "Then, judging by the little I saw of him, I should consider it most unlikely that he has made any allusion to the matter. The next cheque was more surprising; I mean the one you gave his father." "They were both loans." "Have you any expectation of getting the money back?" "What has that to do with you?" Carroll spread out his hands. "Only this--I think you need looking after. We can't stay here indefinitely. Hadn't you better get back to Vancouver before your English friends ruin you?" "I'll go in three or four weeks, not before." Carroll sat silent a minute or two; and then he looked his companion squarely in the face. "Is it your intention to marry Evelyn Chisholm?" "I don't know what has put that into your mind." "I should be astonished if it hadn't suggested itself to her family," Carroll retorted. "I'm far from sure it's an idea they'd entertain with any great favour. For one thing, I can't live here." "Try them, and see. Show them Nairn's telegram when you mention the matter." Vane swung himself down from the wall. "It's very possible that I may do so," he informed his comrade. "But we'll get along."