But everything had been altered since that.  He had regained his inheritance, he had come back a rich man, and he was more than ever indebted to the family because of the violent fight they had made on his behalf, just as he was going.  As he journeyed to Babington all this was clear to him; and it was clear to him also that, from his first entrance into the house, he must put on an air of settled purpose, he must gird up his loins seriously, he must let it be understood that he was not as he used to be, ready for worldly lectures from his aunt, or for romping with his female cousins, or for rats, or rabbits, or partridges, with the male members of the family.  The cares of the world must be seen to sit heavy on him, and at the very first mention of a British wife he must declare himself to be wedded to Polyeuka.

At Babington he was received with many fatted calves.  The whole family were there to welcome him, springing out upon him and dragging him out of the fly as soon as he had entered the park gates.  Aunt Polly almost fainted as she was embracing him under an oak tree; and tears, real tears, ran down the squire’s face as he shook both his nephew’s hands at once.  ‘By George,’ said the Babington heir, ’you’re the luckiest fellow I ever heard of!  We all thought Folking was gone for good.’  As though the possessions of Folking were the summit of human bliss!  Caldigate with all the girls around him could not remonstrate with words, but his spirit did remonstrate.  ’Oh, John, we are so very, very, very, very glad to have you back again,’ said Julia, sobbing and laughing at the same time.  He had kissed them all of course, and now Julia was close to his elbow as he walked up to the house.

In the midst of all this there was hardly opportunity for that deportment which he meant to exercise.  When fatted calves are being killed for you by the dozen, it is very difficult to repudiate the good nature of the slaughterers.  Little efforts he did make even before he got to the house.  ‘I hardly know how I stand just yet,’ he had said, in answer to his uncle’s congratulations as to his wealth.  ’I must go out again at any rate.’

‘Back to Australia?’ asked his aunt.

’I fear so.  It is a kind of business,—­gold-mining,—­in which it is very hard for a man to know what he’s worth.  A claim that has been giving you a thousand pounds net every month for two years past, comes all of sudden a great deal worse than valueless.  You can’t give it up, and you have to throw back your thousands in profitless work.’

‘I wouldn’t do that,’ said the squire.

‘I’d stick to what I’d got,’ said the Babington heir.

‘It is a very difficult business,’ said Caldigate, with a considerable amount of deportment, and an assumed look of age,—­as though the cares of gold-seeking had made him indifferent to all the lighter joys of existence.

‘But you mean to live at Folking?’ asked Aunt Polly.