"Those men haven't bought it yet, have they?"
"Well, it's practically sold," said his uncle.
"I've signed my part, and they are to sign their part tomorrow. Why?
What's that to do with you?"
"Uncle, those men won't sign tomorrow," said Julian.
"Do you know why they wanted to buy the island and the castle?
Not because they really wanted to build an hotel or anything like that—but because they knew the lost gold was hidden there!"
"What nonsense are you talking?" said his uncle.
"It isn't nonsense, Father!" cried George indignantly.
"It's all true.
The map of the old castle was in that box you sold— and in the map was shown where the ingots were hidden by my great-great-great-grandfather!"
George's father looked amazed and annoyed.
He simply didn't believe a word! But his wife saw by the solemn and serious faces of the four children that something important really had happened.
And then Anne suddenly burst into loud sobs!
The excitement had been too much for her and she couldn't bear to think that her uncle wouldn't believe that everything was true.
"Aunt Fanny, Aunt Fanny, it's all true!" she sobbed.
"Uncle Quentin is horrid not to believe us.
Oh, Aunt Fanny, the man had a revolver— and oh, he made Julian and George prisoners in the dungeons— and Dick had to climb down the well to rescue them.
And George has smashed up their motor-boat to stop them escaping!"
Her aunt and uncle couldn't make head or tail of this, but Uncle Quentin suddenly seemed to think that the matter was serious and worth looking into.
"Smashed up a motor-boat!" he said.
"Whatever for?
Come indoors.
I shall have to hear the story from beginning to end.
It seems quite unbelievable to me."
They all trooped indoors.
Anne sat on her aunt's knee and listened to George and Julian telling the whole story. They told it well and left nothing out.
Aunt Fanny grew quite pale as she listened, especially when she heard about Dick climbing down the well.
"You might have been killed," she said.
"Oh, Dick! What a brave thing to do!"
Uncle Quentin listened in the utmost amazement.
He had never had much liking or admiration for any children— he always thought they were noisy, tiresome, and silly.
But now, as he listened to Julian's tale, he changed his mind about these four children at once!
"You've been very clever," he said.
"And very brave too.
I'm proud of you. Yes, I'm very proud of you all.
No wonder you didn't want me to sell the island, George, when you knew about the ingots!
But why didn't you tell me?"
The four children stared at him and didn't answer.
They couldn't very well say,
"Well, firstly, you wouldn't have believed us. Secondly, you are bad-tempered and unjust and we are frightened of you. Thirdly, we didn't trust you enough to do the right thing."
"Why don't you answer?" said their uncle.
His wife answered for them, in a gentle voice.
"Quentin, you scare the children, you know, and I don't expect they liked to go to you.
But now that they have, you will be able to take matters into your own hands. The children cannot do any more.
You must ring up the police and see what they have to say about all this."
"Right," said Uncle Quentin, and he got up at once.
He patted Julian on the back. "You have all done well," he said. Then he ruffled George's short curly hair. "And I'm proud of you, too, George," he said.
"You're as good as a boy any day!"
"Oh Father!" said George, going red with surprise and pleasure.