had not the least idea what the bid meant, having had no recent communication with him.

Would Mr. Griffith Williams now strike in? Israel could not but look with that iron face of his towards his enemy, who stood by the auctioneer, but made no sign.

'Six thousand!' said Israel, on the part of Mr. Colman, who had not yet arrived, and for whom he looked with anxiety, not as doubting the authority given to him, but that Israel knew enough of human nature to know that if Mr. Colman were himself bidding, and was forced up to his mark, he would probably, at the last moment, strain a point, and go farther than he had said he would.

"Seven thousand!' called out the agent.

6

Eight!' said Israel, but only after as long a pause as he dared, for he wanted to stretch out the time, and so let Mr. Colman come to rescue him from his unknown foe.

'Nine thousand!' promptly replied the agent.

'Again delaying as long as possible, but watching the auctioneer's eye the while, as sharply as if he thought it possible he might be in collusion with those who seemed bent on defeating his plans, and so suddenly let his hammer fall, he called out with as steady a voice as if he were prepared for any number of advances yet, while knowing it was in fact his last bid

'Ten thousand!'

He began to breathe again, as he found this time his bid was followed by a deep silence.

In vain the auctioneer recapitulated all the points' of the bargain offered, and expatiated on the certain wealth it would secure to an enterprising speculator; no one advanced, and Israel began to look somewhat sternly at the speaker, as if asking whether he was not exceeding the usual etiquette of the institution by delaying to strike.

Mr. Griffith Williams's voice was now for the first time heard speaking aloud. He remarked in his usual courteous and gentlemanly way, that probably there might be some present who would prefer to bid for the mine and the charge upon it, as one lot. And he should not object to begin with an offer of fifteen thousand pounds.

The auctioneer, after a pause to see if anybody objected, accepted the suggestion; for which, indeed, he did not seem unprepared.

Israel felt the ground gliding from under his feet, but restrained all tokens of emotion as he said simply—

'Sixteen!'

Thank you! Sixteen thousand pounds only are offered, gentlemen. Sixteen thousand only for that which on my conscience I believe is capable of returning at least sixteen thousand a year!'

'Seventeen!' said Mr. Griffith Williams, and it was evident his face and voice were influenced by secret and strong feeling which he could no longer restrain. He and Israel were once more face to face, and dealing with mightier weapons, for weal or woe, than horsewhips, or the documents of petty litigation.

Looking in vain for Mr. Colman, and trying now different tactics, Israel at once responded boldly— 'Eighteen!

'Nineteen!' almost shouted Mr. Williams.

The critical moment had now come indeed. Israel's next must be his last bid, his last chance of influencing the future partnership.

A bold thought occurred to him.

'Is it understood, Mr. Lewis Williams,' he asked, that

the management of the mine is vested in me?'

'Oh, Mr. Mort, we can't go into such matters here! Any advance on nineteen thousand pounds? Going for nineteen!'

'One moment, sir,' thundered Israel's voice through the room, one moment! I have not done bidding. But I wish you to take note that I here publicly avow my right to sole management, and that, whoever be the purchaser, I will defend that right to the last!'

'Any advance? Going, going-’

'Twenty thousand!' cried Israel, and so loud as to make it impossible that there should be any cry of too late!

К

The auctioneer looked at Mr. Williams, but he shook his head.

Israel's blow had told.

Then friends began to whisper to the Squire, and there was quite a commotion among the group amid which he stood. The auctioneer, instead of again calling for an advance, and threatening with his hammer to knock the property down to the last bidder, began leisurely to cut open and suck an orange.

Then advancing to him, Mr. Griffith Williams and he whispered together, and continued to do so, till Israel interrupted them

'Let's have all fair and above board, Mr. Lewis Williams, or the sale may be vitiated.'

Appearing to treat the remark with unconcern, Mr. Lewis Williams did, however, at once stop the talk, and resume his hammer.

And then seeing that the commotion had ceased, and that Mr. Griffith Williams had evidently made up his mind one way or the other, the auctioneer, carefully not looking at him, began once more to ask

'Any advance on twenty thousand, gentlemen?'
Twenty-one,' said Griffith Williams.

Israel look despairingly round once more for his backer, Mr. Colman, but looked in vain.

'Any advance on twenty-one thousand pounds? I shall not dwell!' And he did not. Barely giving Israel time to bid, if he had intended to do so again, the hammer fell, and the result was announced

'Purchaser-Mr. Griffith Williams.'

CHAPTER XXX.

TAKING POSSESSION.

ISRAEL was not long left in doubt as to the special thoughts that had moved Griffith Williams in the last moments of the bidding, first to give it up on hearing Israel's statement that he was permanently manager, and then suddenly to return to his first intention, after the brief discussion with his friends.

The very next day that gentleman appeared at the pit mouth, accompanied by the said friends and by his solicitors, no longer the pettifogging Mr. Croft, of whom Griffith had got ashamed, but Messrs. Johnes and Dynevor; whose presence, when made known to Israel, explained in part the excellent understanding he had seen to exist between the auctioneer acting for the heirs and his former employer.

Israel was at home at the time, unaware of the honour intended him; and, in consequence, the solicitors proposed to send down for Rees Thomas the Deputy, and say to him what they had come to say.

But a sharp collier's lad, who had already got a kind of knowledge of the bad feeling between his present employer and his former employer, stepped out of the staring group of black faces relieved by whites of eyes, who looked on with wonder at the gentlemen's doings, and ran as fast as he possibly could to Israel's house, and burst in upon Israel and his wife sitting at an early dinner, with the intimation-broken by gasps for breath

'Oh, sir-please Mr. Mort-there's Mr. Griffith Williams and a lot of other gentlemen at the pit mouth, and I don't know what they ain't a-going to do!'

Who sent you?'

'Good lad! Put that shilling in your pocket, and we'll

have a talk about you and the mine another time. Now can you run back, even faster than you came?'

The lad grinned-and though still panting, said he didn't know he was sure, he had come pretty fastish.

'Well, quick as you can! Say to Mr. Griffith Williams I am coming, then find Rees Thomas; if he's below, let the cage go down with you, to the stoppage of everything else, and tell him to resist with all the force at his command any attempt to descend.'

'I will, sir.'

'Off then! I shall be not many minutes after you.'

The lad, benefited by even so temporary a rest, flew along, revelling in dreams of what this run was to bring him.

Meantime the gentlemen had not been without occupations to amuse them. They had sent for Mr. Rees Thomas; who, after they had waited a long while, replied by the same messenger, he could not possibly attend upon them for an hour or so, and had privately warned their messenger to seek his master instantly.

The gentlemen, however, had not thought proper to wait for his re-ascent. The assembled party marched in a body into the little counting-house, where it was with difficulty they found convenient standing room; and Mr. Williams and the solicitors began to rummage the table and drawers and cupboard for books of accounts and papers, while the others looked on approvingly.

Nothing the searchers did find seemed to meet their exact want; so they put all back, and at last made a dead stand before a locked desk.

'The books we want are there,' said Mr. Griffith, pointing at it, and looking heated while striving to appear calm.

'Probably,' said one of the solicitors, and turned away to whisper to his partner, who was heard to reply to some enquiry or suggestion—

Certainly not! Too dangerous! Too violent! Not to be thought of for a moment.'

But Griffith Williams heard and understood, and ac