Milly saw the force of that and said no more at the time.

And then Cobley spoke to his mother one night and owned to a gathering
dejection.

"I like to see a job through," he said, "and I'm casting around pretty far
and wide for a man that might be good enough for that girl. She's a
beautiful and simple character, in my opinion, and her heart's as fine as
her face; but it won't do for her to get a fellow who is reckless and too
fond of himself. She must have the right one, who puts her first, and
though there's a few decent chaps in the running, now they know Dicky
Bewes is down and out, yet I wouldn't say there's just the chap anybody
would choose for her."

Well, Mrs. Cobley looked at him with a good bit of astonishment, for such
modesty she couldn't believe ever dwelt in a male. She knew, under promise
of secrecy, that Jack was a tolerable rich man; but he'd bade her not
breathe the fact.

And Mary Cobley knew something else also, which she couldn't very well
tell her son till now, so she'd kept her secret; but when she heard as he
was busy finding somebody as might be good enough for Milly Boon, the
woman in her broke loose and she said a thing she'd never said afore.

"Of all zanies, you be the biggest in the parish," said Mrs. Cobley; "and
however you had the wits to win a fortune and make hard-headed men in the
West Indies believe in you, I'm gormed if I know, Jack!"

He was put about at that.