and in every way disadvantageous to you.

that? No, do not answer, not now.

Don't you see

You will see it by

and-by. And then you will do me justice, whatever now may be your judgment.'

6

'You, then, wish to leave?'

Why, to tell you the truth, I have already so far arranged that I have only to speak, and my friend the farmer will be ready to receive me at an hour's notice.' 'I asked you if you wished to leave?'

'You press me unkindly, Margaret!' And he could not prevent a tear from glistening in his eye, or her from seeing it.

'Am I, then, to go to my mother, and say, "Mother, Mr. Rees Thomas is going away, but doesn't know whether he wishes to go or not?"

'Margaret, this is cruel. You know--`

'What do I know?'

'That I love you-aye, a thousand times better than I ever did before, and that you can no longer love me.'

The colour was again swiftly mounting to her cheek; her eyes were full of timid yet joyous light; if they saw the blemished face, it no longer troubled them. There was a brief silence; then in the lowest, sweetest accents surely ever heard by mortal ears, she answered,

'Is that true that you first said?'

How could Rees Thomas answer, except from the ground at her feet, and which he did not leave till she had assured him of a love far too deep to be destroyed by the accidents of life?

Had I been your wife,' she said, with an infusion of scarlet on her cheeks, to hear her own lips pronounce the word, 'what would every honest and true-hearted woman have said of me, if my love had deserted you at your utmost need? Believe me, Mr. Thomas, if your calamity has changed me at all, it is to that which you will have no cause to complain of.'

She leaned down. Their arms, lips, souls met, and for a brief space the lovers knew that the idea of happiness on

Q

earth was no fable or dream, but a reality surpassing all imaginings.

And then, when they could speak together again, Rees Thomas warned her of what must happen, thus loving and living together; but she, too, had foreseen that. And so it was settled that before he began again to work, and exercise his renewed dignity of Deputy, they should be married.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MRS. JEHOSHAPHAT'S VISIT TO THE MINE.

THE work of reparation of the mine now went on so vigorously, seemed so thoroughly to occupy Israel's whole soul, as to leave him neither time nor inclination to attend to what all his neighbours had supposed must prove an overwhelming calamity, the departure of David, to seek his way in the world, alone and friendless.

After the first shock of his violence, Mrs. Mort had found him hear her account of the business with more patient and good feeling than she had dared to hope for. Indeed, as her prostration of mind and body became plain to him, he ministered to her by kindly acts, though he did not use kindly words.

Once only he broke through the impassive front he had maintained after the first few hours of knowledge, and said to her

David will probably come back. If so, and he says anything at all satisfactory as regards the future, I shall wash out the past as I wipe out these memoranda from my slate.' And with a sponge he cleaned the slate carefully before again speaking. But I hereby warn you never to mention his name to me again, till he does. From this time I also wipe out and make clean my mind of him, as this slate is clean-aye, that I will, even to the very recollection of him, for any or all practical purposes!"

What could she say or do, but just what she had always to say or do-submit?

And then Israel went to work as if the very attempt of circumstances to impede him for the moment made him only move on with redoubled force afterwards.

The day came, so long looked for by Mrs. Jehoshaphat, the day of her visit to see at work all the labourers in the busy hive of industry that her money alone now maintained, while she could see them—that is, while the works were going on at the surface, or were, to some extent, visible from it.

Everything regarding the transit, from her eyrie on the mountain ledge down to the mine-mouth, was managed to her entire satisfaction, and with no perceptible jar to her nerves, or injury to her aged and weak frame.

But then she was in such spirits, that it would have required a somewhat rude jar or decided injury to affect her. Never was there a woman with whom the value, or comfort, or happiness of the passing hour depended more on the quality of the existing mood, which too was usually passing, even while one gazed on its manifestations or effects.

She had dressed herself in gorgeous attire: a crimson velvet robe, seal-skin jacket, and swansdown boa round her neck; a bonnet indescribable for size, the variety of its colours, and the rarity of the pendent flowers that hung from it, and which the most skilful botanist would have found it difficult to assign to their right place in the Linnæan, the natural, or any other system. She wore yellow kid gloves, and rings over them on every finger. She was the queen of the day, and felt quite equal to all demands for queenliness of costume and behaviour that could be made upon her.

They carried her in an easy chair, taken from her own room, down the steep, winding, and dangerous descent, at the bottom of which a Bath chair awaited her; and in this she was drawn gently and carefully over the inequalities of the way, towards the mine.

The moment she was within sight of the place, her ears

were greeted by a great shout, and her eyes, by the display of waving hats and handkerchiefs, and gay flags; and she soon discovered what previously she had neither known nor suspected, that Israel had passed the word round among the colliers, and the colliers' wives and sweethearts and daughters, that there was to be a bit of a public ceremony at the laying of the first stone of the masonry around the pit mouth, and that he wished a good reception to be given to Mrs. Jehoshaphat, who was coming.

The cries of welcome from the voices of the multitude, who, in their holiday costume, and with such a mingling of the sexes, presented a somewhat picturesque appearance, was immediately afterwards taken up by an amateur band playing an inspiriting march.

Israel advanced to meet her, to receive a most cordial shake of the hand, and to see the tears of pride in the old lady's eyes, as she said—

This is a surprise, Israel Mort. Ah! I see you have learned to sound the depths of the old fool's weakness, and, shall I say, to take advantage of her?'

Say it by all means, ma'am, if you think it, or if it will comfort you!'

But, Israel, what do you think, man?' exclaimed the old lady with a joyous laugh. The doctor actually and positively forbade this expedition, and said he washed his hands of the business altogether, if I did. And here I am, feeling so well, that I can't but ask which is the biggest old woman, Dr. Jolliffe or me?'

'Well, ma'am, I am sorry to hear so decided an opinion from the doctor; but, however, as you say, here you are, and it must be our business to take care you shan't be able to say so for long.'

'Oh, you mean to send me quickly back, do you? That'll depend, Israel Mort, that'll depend !'

He wasted no time in contention, for he knew that could not benefit her now. So he set the artisans to work again, whom her coming had interrupted.

While he was thus engaged, she turned eagerly and impatiently round, now in this direction now in that, to

see here the great stack of props for the interior, there masons at work on the masonry for the exterior; here the yawning gulf of the new shaft, already far advanced to completion; there the similar gulf of the old one, with the cage incessantly going up and down with materials; here the long array of gigantic beams, to form the spears of the new pump; there an enormous pile of bricks, for particular portions of the roofing below; here empty waggons going away, there loaded waggons coming up.

When Israel rejoined her, she could not but notice a certain gravity in his face, which she had by this time learned to read so well, as to know that if it ever did express anything particular it was because its owner chose that it should, and indeed compelled it to do so.

'What's the matter, man? Pray don't dash my spirits to-day. You can't have any news to tell me that must be told now, or that can be so very important as to matter when it's told.'

'No, ma'am, but I want to say a word and then it's done with, and I will wait your good pleasure.'

"What is the word?'

'This: you have provided me with money freely, handsomely, as I wanted it, and I didn't like to ask you to put into the bank, once for all, enough for the job.'

"Of course you didn't like to ask me, nor should I have done it if you had.'

'Suppose, ma'am, anything were to happen while things are in this state?'

"Happen to me?'

'Yes, ma'am.'

Mrs. Jehoshaphat's face visibly paled, and the pallor increased to such a deadly hue, that for the moment Israel feared he had all unconsciously touched a dangerous chord of fear in her heart. But when she spoke, which she could not do for a little time on account of her ever-present enemy, the cough, it was to pour out a torrent of anger, and almost of imprecations, at him who had first suggested the visit.

He stood quiet, submissive under the storm, saying nothing to irritate her, trusting to what he had before