if he lived again, and a heavy fear had been lifted from his mind.

Israel also drew a deep breath. The affair struck him as ominous and unpleasant. The same sort of dealing would renew Mr. Barrett's lease of office; who, if he did not leave now, would probably stick to the colliery quite the natural term of Israel's life.

He noticed, too, that Griffith Williams had seen him, and had not thought proper to notice him.

But where was the manager? He saw nothing of him. Had he already settled everything with Mr. Griffith Williams, and gone away home?

At that moment Mr. Barrett came into the room; and in a bustling, confident sort of way, implying the best possible understanding with his employer, went to him and the lawyer; and then, after exchanging a few words with the former, came across the room to where Israel was at its furthest extremity, and said to him

'Mr. Griffith Williams can't see you to-day; but to-morrow, perhaps, he may spare a minute or two.'

6

Oh, very well!' said Israel, rising, hat in hand.

Can I do what you want?' asked the manager, not exactly in an offensive way, but looking, Israel thought, as if wondering at his impudence in coming there.

No, sir, thank you. My business isn't so important but it can wait.' And staying no further question, away he went, in the direction of his own home.

But not for long did he keep in that direction. When he had got so far from the Farm as to be sure no one from thence could distinguish his movements, he turned short round by a lane, re-entered the valley, but on the other side of the stream, and favoured by the thick undergrowth, was able to reach a spot within full sight of his employer's house, without himself incurring the risk of being seen.

He then sat down on the round trunk of a felled oak-tree, took out his watch, and made some calculations, then drew forth his pipe, and began to smoke slowly, meditatively.

Well,' said he to himself, after a long pause, 'Barrett has got his chance—and he had best make use of it, for he shall never have another, not if——

6

He puffed again in silence and anxious thought.

I'll stay here at any rate till he comes out again-ay, if it be night first. Make your mind easy on that point, Mr. Barrett!'

Half an hour passed-an hour-two hours-and still no Mr. Barrett appeared.

Israel, at his tree, felt something like the Indian at the burning stake, but like him evinced no emotion.

The labours, and sacrifices, and hopes, and disappointments of long years were again being gone through, as he saw that each hour's delay of the agent with his employer made it more and more sure that the ground was being cut away from under his feet-that ground where he had proposed to stand a new man, and from which he had intended to start on a new career.

Still he puffed away with no perceptible emotion or impatience, beyond the occasional shifting of his legs, or the rise for a moment to one knee, to look out through the opening he had found among the bushes.

And even when he did see Barrett come out at last from his long audience, only those who might have noticed Israel's face dimly illuminated as by a light suddenly passed across it and gone would have perceived anything noticeable in the way he rose to his full height, and stood apparently considering, for a little space, which way he should go. In reality, he was measuring with exactness Mr. Barrett's retreating steps, so that he might judge how long he would be passing out beyond the far gate; and how soon Israel might start forth again, without risk of being seen by the agent, on his determined purpose to confront Mr. Griffith Williams in his house.

That time soon came. Israel descended the slope, leapt over the stream, and began to ascend the valley a little, preparatory to a descent upon the house, so as to evade all danger of a meeting with Mr. Barrett. And then, to Israel's great satisfaction, he and Mr. Griffith

Williams met in the pathway leading past the Farm up towards the mountain height.

The greeting on the squire's side was genial, yet with a smack of condescension; on Israel's it was deferential, but manly, almost stern.

'Shall we sit down here-pointing to a little knollor go into the house?' asked Griffith.

All places are alike to me, sir,' responded Israel; and, following his employer's example, he sat down. And as his lack-lustre eye (when unexcited) fell on the foliage and water of the beautiful valley, he really seemed to see no difference between it and his own familiar mine.

'Well now, Mort, what is it you want to say to me? Speak out, and straightforwardly, for--'

'Did you ever know me to do anything else, sir?' asked Israel, as if really curious to be answered, but with no show of anger.

'Well-no. But you are aware it is against all discipline for inferior officers to make complaints against superior ones.'

'Better that,' said Israel, interrupting the speaker, 'than, for lack of complaining, to let inferior and superior be all blown up together.'

'Why, Israel, man! you do not, cannot, mean that things are so bad as that."

'I mean, sir,' said Israel, looking aside and down, not at all as in fear, but as if engaged in some mental effort, that required all possible abstraction from externals, 'that for a long time past the colliers have made the two deputies miserable by their continual alarms, now about one thing, now about another. I mean that the deputies have been trying in the same way to scare me, and I have felt obligated so far to listen to them as to call Mr. Barrett's special attention to a number of things that want to be seen to, and which he does see to by treating the mine as a tinker treats a tin-kettle with a worn-out bottomby soft sawder. I mean, sir, that as none of us, therefore, can get satisfied without going to head-quarters— why, to head-quarters I come, as it's my duty to 'do.

It's your property, you know, sir, but it's our lives at

stake.'

The eyes of the two men met-Griffith's troubled with many thoughts, Israel's luminous with one thought; he was coming to the point at last.

And are the necessary operations so very heavy?' asked the former.

'I want you, sir, to come to the mine and judge for yourself.'

'I! What's the good of that? I am no judge. I hate the mine. I mean the details."

'You are owner,' said Israel, with something like reproof.

Griffith's eyes glanced inquiringly, but unconscious they were doing so, in Israel's, and then at his own dress, and then again at Israel's, but dropped them suddenly to the dog lying at his feet.

However slow might be the thoughts of the Overman, his instincts were keen and quick, and he at once guessed and tested the nature of his employer's speculations by saying

'If, sir, you will say you will come down, I will take care that everything shall be made as little disagreeable as possible.'

'Tell me, Israel, candidly, is there any danger?'
'Certainly not.'

'You can guarantee that?'

'With my life,' said Israel with a smile-a most unusual phenomenon on his face-'if that were any good to you.'

Don't imagine me a coward, Israel.'

Certainly not, sir,' responded Israel, passing his hand over his face at the same moment.

'No, Israel, I don't think I am a coward. I can hunt with a horse that most men would refuse to mount, and leap anything that can he leaped; I can hear pain; I go into battle, and decently, at least, play my part. These things lie, or might lie in my way. But the mine! well, Israel, you know as much of my history as most

could

men, and know how I shrank from it in youth, and I don't

find my love grow for it in maturer age.'

'Ay, but for all that there's more to be got out of her now than as yet there ever has been gotten,' remarked Israel, patting the sward with his right hand, as if that were the mine below; and following the remark by such a glance at Griffith as the marksman gives who fires at some noble prey, and waits to see if it is about to fall.

'What's that you say?' hastily demanded Griffith. He had already risen to his feet, and turned his face towards home, but again turned, and stood rooted to the spot. 'Wil you come to the mine to-morrow, sir?'

Impossible! it would not be decent till after the

funeral.'

"Well, sir, when shall we meet?'

"You and I to be alone?'

'Oh no; I think you should see the people, and they ought to see you.'

And what about Mr. Barrett?'

'Of course he'll be there, sir.'

Griffith seemed more and more to be lost in the tangles of his own thoughts, or else in the disturbed aspect that Israel's presence, looks, words, and behaviour seemed to cast over them. This reply puzzled him exceedingly.

Certainly he wanted to hear whatever Israel had to say, and he saw he must let him say it in his own time and manner. But he did also want not to seem mean or ungentlemanly to his manager, Barrett. He had been busily thinking how to compass both ends at the same time, when lo! Israel set at nought his forethought by saying, as if it were the simplest thing in the world, that of course the manager would be present.

After giving his employer ample time to realise the force of this remark, Israel said

'I will, by your leave, sir, call on him as I go home, and say I have asked you to meet him and me, and that you have consented to come.'

6 If so, he will be here presently, and either require the project to be given up so far as you are concerned, or resign.'