She smiled at him and he smiled back.
The children noticed that he had a very nice face when he smiled.
He and George were really very alike to look at.
Both looked ugly when they sulked and frowned— and both were good to look at when they laughed or smiled!
George's father went off to telephone the police and his lawyer too.
The children sat and ate biscuits and plums, telling their aunt a great many little details they had forgotten when telling the story before.
As they sat there, there came a loud and angry bark from the front garden.
George looked up.
"That's Tim," she said, with an anxious look at her mother.
"I hadn't time to take him to Alf, who keeps him for me.
Mother, Tim was such a comfort to us on the island, you know.
I'm sorry he's barking now— but I expect he's hungry."
"Well, fetch him in," said her mother, unexpectedly.
"He's quite a hero, too— we must give him a good dinner."
George smiled in delight. She sped out of the door and went to Tim.
She set him free and he came bounding indoors, wagging his long tail.
He licked George's mother and cocked his ears at her.
"Good dog," she said, and actually patted him.
"I'll get you some dinner!"
Tim trotted out to the kitchen with her.
Julian grinned at George.
"Well, look at that," he said. "Your mother's a brick, isn't she?"
"Yes— but I don't know what Father will say when he sees Tim in the house again," said George, doubtfully.
Her father came back at that minute, his face grave.
"The police take a serious view of all this," he said, "and so does my lawyer.
They all agree in thinking that you children have been remarkably clever and brave.
And George— my lawyer says that the ingots definitely belong to us.
Are there really a lot?"
"Father!
There are hundreds!" cried George.
"Simply hundreds— all in a big pile in the dungeon.
Oh, Father—shall we be rich now?"
"Yes", said her father.
"We shall.
Rich enough to give you and your mother all the things I've longed to give you for so many years and couldn't.
I've worked hard enough for you— but it's not the kind of work that brings in a lot of money, and so I've become irritable and bad-tempered.
But now you shall have everything you want!"
"I don't really want anything I haven't already got," said George.
"But Father, there is one thing I'd like more than anything else in the world— and it won't cost you a penny!"
"You shall have it, my dear!" said her father, slipping his arm round George, much to her surprise.
"Just say what it is— and even if it costs a hundred pounds you shall have it!"
Just then there came the pattering of big feet down the passage to the room they were in.
A big hairy head pushed itself through the door and looked inquiringly at everyone there.
It was Tim, of course!
Uncle Quentin stared at him in surprise.
"Why, isn't that Tim?" he asked.
"Hallo, Tim!"
"Father! Tim is the thing I want most in all the world," said George, squeezing her father's arm.
"You can't think what a friend he was to us on the island— and he wanted to fly at those men and fight them.
Oh, Father, I don't want any other present— I only want to keep Tim and have him here for my very own.