human
Mr. Quendale never returned to Orkney?
gpt
No,
human
Strange. And did Pilot Ericson never hear from him?
gpt
Never.
human
And what about the wreckage?
gpt
There was none of special value, said Andrew.
human
This box that we have here is, I believe, the only thing of value that remained, and, as you know, it was only discovered a few days since.
gpt
But Kinlay appears to have known of it,
human
Certainly he knew of it, the dominie returned;
gpt
Very good, Andrew; we'll examine them afterwards, said the magistrate.
human
There was no other wreckage? no other bodies washed ashore?
gpt
No. It was while he was looking out for further remains of the wreck that Sandy Ericson discovered Carver Kinlay in the Gaulton Cave, and with him the child we know as Thora.
human
Kinlay's own child, that is,
gpt
I believe not, Mr. Duke, said Andrew.
human
She is the daughter of this Mr. Quendale, the owner of the wrecked ship.
gpt
Indeed! You believe that, Andrew?
human
I firmly believe it.
gpt
Had we not better send for Mrs. Kinlay, to hear what she has to say on the matter?
human
Mrs. Kinlay is dangerously ill. However, I was at Crua Breck yesterday and saw her. It seems that when Sandy took the bairn to her, she, in her excitement at its recovery, claimed it as her own. There was no clothing on the child to identify it by, you see, and she did not discover her mistake for some hours after Sandy had gone. But Sandy had told her that Mr. Quendale was to return to Pomona very soon, and Thora was kept there until her father should come back.
gpt
But, Andrew, man, how do you explain their keeping Thora and bringing her up as their own bairn if, as you affirm, she was known to be the daughter of other parents?
human
Simply in this way, said Mr. Drever;
gpt
Carver, you see, knew very well that Mr. Quendale was expected back in Orkney. He kept the girl, as his wife confesses, hoping for a ransom from so wealthy a father. But having begun, very foolishly, by passing Thora off as his own bairn, he was obliged to continue to recognize her as such before folk, still believing that her true father would reappear.
human
Did Carver always treat you kindly, Thora--as a father?
gpt
No, Mr. Duke. He was good to me before folk; but he was very hard sometimes.
human
And your mother--I mean Mrs. Kinlay--was she good to you?
gpt
She has aye been good to me; but not like a mother,
human
And you never suspected that she was not your true mother?
gpt
Not till Colin Lothian spoke to me about it.
human
There is certainly some mystery about all this, said the bailie, turning to Andrew Drever.
gpt
But it remains with us to communicate with this Mr. Quendale, if he is still alive.
human
He is not alive,
gpt
Oh, then, you know something of him?
human
Yes,