Crispin did not like this further putting off, but he knew Justinian was iron when once he had made up his mind, so submitted to the further procrastination of the important secret with a sufficiently good grace, although he made one objection. “You might be killed in the mean time.” “If that happens, you will find all papers necessary to establish your legitimacy with my London solicitors. You think I am harsh and unkind, Crispin, in not telling you what you wish to know now, but, when I reveal all, you will see I have a good reason for my not doing so. One thing I can comfort you with, however,—your father is alive, and I will restore you to his arms.” “And my mother?” “She is dead. You know she died here, my boy. It is a sad story I will have to tell you, but, at all events, you will have a father, and a name as good as any in England.” “With that promise I am content,” said Crispin gladly; “as you have brought me up from infancy, I would be indeed ungrateful if I did not trust you to the end.” “Yet you left me in anger!” “I think you must blame Caliphronas for that. It was his machinations that caused you to misjudge me, as I misjudged you.” “Caliphronas has been the bad genius of us all,” said Justinian decisively; “but now, thank heaven, he is gone, and will trouble us no more.” “My faith!” cried Maurice lightly, “he will trouble us a good deal, if he brings Alcibiades here.” “Ah, that is open war! I do not mind that. It was his hidden treachery to which I referred.” “By the way,” said Roylands meditatively, “I suppose that Caliphronas thinks you have untold treasures in this Acropolis?” “He does; and that is one of the reasons he desires to plunder Melnos. Fortunately, all my money derived from the island is in London.” “What a disappointment for Alcibiades & Company when they find no treasure here!” cried Crispin, laughing. “They must never get here!” said the Demarch resolutely; “I will defend the island to the bitter end, and, in spite of their strength, I fancy they will find it difficult to force either the western pass or the tunnel.” “If you had the western pass as an entrance to Melnos, why did you pierce the tunnel?” asked Maurice curiously; “would it not have been better to have only one entrance?” “Decidedly. But you see the western side of Melnos is exposed to the gales; and, in spite of the harbor, its anchorage is hardly safe; so I was forced to build a breakwater on the eastern side of the island. Of course, this being the case, when ships were loaded or unloaded there, the goods could not be taken round to the western pass,—hence the tunnel.” “I think your scheme is a wonderful one,” said Maurice, with great admiration; “and wonderfully carried out.” “It is yet only in its infancy, and needs a wise ruler to carry it on to ripe fruition. That ruler, Maurice, I expect to find in you.” “I trust you will not be disappointed in my administrative ability.”