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THE
MASTER OF THE MINE
VOL. I.
J'RIXTED BT
SPOTTISWOODE AXD CO., NKW-STUnKT SQUARR
LONDON
THE
MASTER OF THE MINE
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,. ,By
' ' KDBERT ' * Bl}CftA]SrAN
AUTHOR OF 'GOD AND THE MAN'' 'THE SHADOW OF THE SWORD' ETC.
'The visions of the earth were gone and fled —
He saw the giant Sea above his head'
Keats' Eiifivmion
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOL. I.
LONDON
RICHARD BENTLEY & SON, NEW BURLINGTON STREET
iJublisbns in (i)rbin;un lo i)tr ||laJEstn tbc 6?urrn
1885
Ml riyhts reserved
J a • • I
\
-K
i
CONTENTS
r^ OF
,x THE FIEST VOLUME.
PAGE
^ I. A PROLOGUE, AND THE FIRST SCENE , 1
II. NEMESIS INTERVENES . . . .16
III. AFTER TEN YEARS, I BEGIN LIFE IN
EARNEST . . , . . . 30
IV. JOHN RUDD, POET AND CARRIER . . 43
V. ANNIE 65
VL FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE MINE. — UNDER
THE SEA ...... 86
VII. A VISIT OF INSPECTION . , . . 98
VIII. I PLAY THE SPY 118
20631
VI
CONTEXTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME
IX.- ANMES CONFESSION
X. THE LETTER
XI. THE GREAT STORM
XU. THE SURVIVORS OF THE WRECK
XIII. MADELINE GRAHAM
XIV. A SUNBEAM IN THE COTTAGE
XV. UNDER THE SPELL
XVI. BY THE SEA
X\ll. A WALK ACROSS THE MOOR
XVIII. I RECEIVE MY CONGE
XIX. THE NEW OVERSEER
XX. IN LONDON
I'AGK
. 133
144
loa
. 173
186
. 201
. 214
. 224
. 241
. 254
. 269
. 282
f
THE
MASTEE OF THE MINE.
CHAPTER I.
A PROLOGUE, AND THE FIRST SCENE.
In a large wooden building, not far from the
seashore, a building attached as schoolhouse
to ' Munster's Boarding Academy for Young
Gentlemen,' I, Hugh Trelawney, then scarcely
ten years old, was moping alone. I had only
arrived two days before from London, where I
had parted from my father, a travelling lecturer
in the cause of what was then known as the
New Moral World. My mother had long been
dead, and I had led a somewhat neglected
life, sometimes accompanying my father on his
VOL. I. B
2 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
wanderings, more often being left to the care,
or carelessness, of strangers. At last I had
been sent to Southampton to complete a very
perfunctory education.
It was afternoon, and a half-holiday ; my
new schoolfellows were playing close by.
For myself, I was too used to loneliness to be
very miserable. I merely felt an outcast for
the time being, and took no interest whatever
in my new associations.
As I sat thus, I must have fallen into a
brown study, from which a slight sound startled
me.
Looking up, I met the flash of two dark
eyes which were intently regarding me.
' Are you the new boy ? ' said a clear voice.
I nodded, and stared at my interrogator, a
girl of about my own age, whose black eye-
brows were knitted in a way very curious in so
ycung a child as she seemed.
A PROLOGUE, AND THE FIRST SCENE 3
Her arms and neck were bare, and sbe was
fondling a kitten, whose bright eyes and hs-
som movements seemed to have somethinsj in
common with her own beauty. I noticed, too,
that she wore earrings, and that they were very
bright and gUstening.
' What is your name ? ' she continued, in
the same clear questioning tone, altogether
with the manner of a superior who was not to
be trifled with.
' Hugh.'
' Hugh what ? '
' Hugh Trelawney.'
felt somewhat overawed by the tone of
the little lady, who, to my boyish eyes, seemed
much more my senior than she was in reality.
She continued to regard me with the same
keen scrutiny, and then said, looking at my
attire :
'Who is dead?'
B 2
4 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
I still wore black for my mother, and,
with a somewhat faltering voice, I told her
so.
She did not seem surprised, and expressed
no sympathy ; but, walking to the schoolroom
window, looked out, saying, 'Why don't you
go out and play with the other boys ? '
* I don't care about play. I am tired.'
' Tired with what ? ' she questioned quickly.
I made no reply, for I was not prepared for
the question. I had meant to imply that I was
low-spirited and dull, but had not cared to
confess so much in so many words.
She understood me, however, and, although
she seemed indifferent to my condition, troub-
led me with no more questions.
Glad to direct her attention from myself,
for her bright eyes troubled me and made me
feel ashamed, I stooped down and stroked the
kitten, which she had placed upon the floor.
A PKOLOGUE, AXD THE FIRST SCENE 5
Even as I did so, I could feel her eyes still
fixed upon me ; but when I looked up again
with an annoyed expression, she turned her
eyes away, and laughed.
This emboldened me, and I beo:an to
question in my turn.
'Are you the schoolmaster's daughter.^'
At this she laughed the more — so brightly
and pleasantly, w^ith such a good-humoured
sympathy with my blunder, that my first
impression of her began to improve, and I saw
that, besides being a rather imperious, she was
a very pretty young lady.
' Why do you laugh ? ' I remarked.
' At you,' she replied ; ' because you take
me for IMr. Munster's child. I am a stranger
here, like yourself. My people live far away
in South America, and are very rich. My
mother is dead, and I don't remember her.
My father has sent me here to be taught ; but
b THE MASTER OF THE MINE
I shall soon go back to him. Have you a
father ? ' she added, quickly.
I nodded.
* Is he kind to you, and was it he that sent
you to school ? ' she asked.
But without waiting for my reply to her
questions, she continued : ' My father cried
when I left him, though he is a great man, and
when he gave me these earrings, he told me
my mother had worn them before me, and he
kissed them. We live far away from here, in
a brighter place. Don't you hate England ? '
This was rather a startling query, but being
in a state of mind bordering on disgust for
life in general, I readily assented. Her eyes
gleamed.
' It is a dreary place,' she cried — ' dull and
miserable, and it rains nearly every day. But
it is different where I come from. It is always
bright there, and there are flowers everywhere,
A PKOLOGUE, AND THE FIKST SCENE /
and the trees are full of fruit ; aud there are
bright insects, and beautiful snakes without
stings, that can be taught to twine round your
neck, and feed out of your hand.'
As she spake thus, indeed, it seemed that
I was transported to the land of which she
spoke : her eyes were so sparkling, her face so
bright and sunny, her form so foreign in its
slender beauty, — and her earrings glistened,
and her beautiful ivory teeth gleamed, — and I
saw her walking in that land, a wonder among
all wonders there, with fruits and flowers over
her head, and brilliant insects floating round
her, and luminous snakes gleaming harmless in
her path, and dusky slaves waiting upon her
and doing her courtesies. For it must be
borne in mind that I had been a studious boy,
fond of reading wild books of travel and
adventure, and of picturing in my mind the
wonders of foreicn lands. Much that I had
8 THE MASTER OP THE MINE
fancied of dwellers in distant regions was
realised in the face I now beheld for the first
time.
At what age is a beautiful human creature
— and more particularly one belonging to the
f^entler sex — insensible to admiration ? I am
certain that my new friend perceived mine, and
that it did not displease her. It was, at any
rate, genuine homage, quietly expressed, almost
against my will, in the pleased yet timid glances
of my eyes.
When she next spoke, her clear impetuous
tone Avas greatly changed and softened, and a
kinder light dwelt on her face.
' If you will come with me,' she said, ' I will
show you the place. There is not much to see
but the garden, and that I like well enough.
Will you come ? '
I rose awkwardly, as if at a word of com-
mand ; and, taking my cap from the peg where
A PKOLOGUE, AXD THE FIRST SCENE 9
it liiing, swung it in my liand as I followed her
to the door.
Ashamed, yet pleased, to be chaperoned by
a girl, I wondered what my schoolfellows would
think of it.
Close to the schoolroom was the play-
ground, or rather the capacious piece of lawn,
dignified by that name.
My schoolfellows were playing cricket
thereon. They paid no attention to me as I
passed, but looked at my companion with a
curious and not too friendly expression. She,
for her part, passed along imperiously, without
deigning to cast a single look in their direction ;
and I noticed that her look had changed again,
and that her dark brows w^ere knitted with the
former unpleasant expression. She said nothing,
however, for some minutes.
Our first visit was to the top of a high knoll
behind the house, whence we could see the sur-
10 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
rounding country, and, some miles to the south-
ward, the distant sea, with a white frost of
billows on the edge of liver-coloured sands.
It was a quiet, sunless day ; but far away
there were gleams of watery light on the white
sails of ships passing by under full canvas.
The girl looked seaward at the passing sails
with much the same pecuhar expression she
had worn on our first encounter.
How could I fathom her thoughts ? I
guessed she was thinking of her home, but I
was wrong.
' Are you clever ? ' she asked, suddenly.
This was a question which I, as a modest
boy, felt totally unprepared to answer. I
looked at the ground, peeped at her, and
laughed. Her expression did not change.
' I mean, do you know much,' she continued,
in explanation. ' Have you learnt much
before ? '
A PROLOGUE, AND THE FIRST SCENE 11
I explained to her, as well as possible, that
my acquirements were very slender indeed,
and merely consisted of the stray crumbs of
knowledge which I had been enabled to pick
up at day schools in the various towns where
my father had resided during my childhood.
In point of fact, I was a thoroughly uncultivated
httle boy, and had never been crammed with
the solid pabulum so much in vogue at our
public schools. I could read and write, of
course, and knew arithmetic as far as the rule
of three, and had got through the first four
declensions in the Latin grammar ; but all was
a chaos, and I had no accomplishments.
I did not explain all this to my interrogator ;
for I was too proud.
' If you are not clever, and know so little,'
observed the girl, thoughtfully, 'take care of
the other boys. Why don't you make friends
with them ? Why do you like to sit alone, and
12 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
be sullen ? If there were girls here, I should
make friends, I know. But boys are different ;
they have cruel ways, and they hate each
other.'
All this was said in a tone rather of re-
flection than of conversation ; and she still kept
her eyes on the distant ships, as if from some
secret source far away the current of her
thoughts was flowing.
' The boys hate me,' she pursued, ' because
they think me proud. I am not proud, but I
am quicker and cleverer than they are, and I
come from a better place. I beat them in the
class and at all things, except figures ; and I
have helped the biggest of them sometimes,
when they were too stupid to understand.'
All this was a revelation to me. Until that
moment I had never supposed that my com-
panion's place was among the common scholars.
During my first two days in school she had
A PKOLOGUE, AND THE FIRST SCENE 13
been absent — a circumstance whicli she soon
explained to me without any questioning.
'I have been away on a visit, and only
returned this morninsf. I do not come to
school ever}^ day, because I have headaches,
and my father will only have me learn when I
please. Now let us go down and look at the
garden. There are fruit-bushes there, and
some of the fruit is ripe.'
Still respectful and submissive, I followed,
and we were soon wandering side by side in
the quiet garden in the neighbourhood of the
schoolhouse. Ever and anon, as we walked, I
heard the shouts and cries of my playmates ;
but they were wafted to me as from some for-
saken life.
A spell had been passed upon me, and I
was in a dream. As I write, the dream sur-
rounds me still. Years ebb backward, clouds
part, the old horizons come nearer and nearer,
14 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
and I am again wandering in the quiet shade of
trees with the shining young face at my side.
I can no longer recall looks and words. All
becomes a tremor. I see the one face only,
but the voice becomes inarticulate.
What I remember last is a sudden sound
dissolving a spell. A bell rung loudly from
the house, and my companion uttered an
exclamation —
'That is the bell for tea,' she exclaimed.
' You had better go.'
And she ran before me up the path. She
was nearly out of sight among the garden
bushes when, urged by curiosity, I took courage,
and called after her.
' What is your name ? ' I cried.
She nodded back with a smile.
' Madeline,' she replied. ' Madeline Graham.'
With that she was gone. For a moment I stood
bewildered, and then, with quite a new light in
A PROLOGUE, AND THE FIRST SCENE 15
my eyes, I made tlie best of my way into the
house, and joined the boys at the tea-table.
Although Mrs. Munster presided at the
board, my new friend did not appear, and as I
munched my bread-and-butter, I thought of
her face with a kind of dreamy pleasure,
delicious to recall even now.
IG THE MASTER OF THE MINE
CHAPTER 11.
KEMESIS INTERVENES.
In my hasty sketch of school, I have made httle
or no mention of the schoohnaster and his wife.
Indeed, so far as my present retrospection is
concerned, they are nonentities ; and they form
part of my story only in so mucli as they
affected my relations with the leading actress
in the life drama to which these chapters are
the prelude.
Mimster was a feeble-looking but talented
little man, with a very high forehead, which he
was constantly mopping with cold water, to
subdue inordinate headaches ; and Mrs. Munster
was a kind creature, with an enormous respect
NEMESIS IXTERYEXES 17
for her lord, and quite a motherly interest in us
boys, she having no children of her own.
The manner of these good people was kind
towards all ; but their treatment of Madeline
Graham was blended with a sense of restraint
almost bordering on fear. It Avas obvious that
they had been instructed to treat her with more
than ordinary solicitude, and it was equally
obvious that they were liberally paid for so
doing.
When she broke from all restraint, as was
the case occasionally, their concern for her per-
sonal welfare was not unmixed with a fear lest
open rupture might rob them of the instalments
derived from theii* wealthiest pupil. Madeline,
on her side, was perfectly conscious of this ; but,
in justice it must be said, that she seldom took
undue advantage of her position.
The more I saw of Madeline Graham, the
more I observed her manners and general
VOL. I. C
18 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
bearing, the more the thouglit of her possessed
me, and blended with my quietest dreams.
After that first interview she held somewhat
aloof for many days, but her eyes were con-
stantly watching me in school and at meals,
though without any approach to further
familiarity. She seemed desirous of keeping
me at a distance, for reasons which I could not
possibly penetrate.
Gradually, however, we came together
again.
Madeline had not exaggerated when she
boasted of excelling: the other scholars in
brightness and intelligence. Her memory was
extraordinary, and tasks which taxed all the
energies of boyhood were easily mastered by
her auick and restless brain.
She was taught with the rest of us in the
open school, and was generally at the head of
her class.
NEMESIS INTERVENES 19
It SO happened that I myself, although in
many things dull and indifferent, was also gifted
with a memory of uncommon tenacity. In all
tasks which demanded the exercise of this func-
tion I took a foremost place. Madeline was
my most formidable rival, and we began, quietly
at first, but afterwards with energy, to fight for
the mastery.
The competition, instead of severing, brought
us closer to each other.
Madeline respected the spirit which some-
times subdued her, and I, for my part, loved
her the better for the humanising touches of
passion which my victory frequently awakened.
We had been friends six months, the quiet
round of school life had become familiar and
pleasant to me, when, one day, at breakfast, I
noticed that Munster wore a very troubled ex-
pression, as he broke open the largest of a
number of letters lying before him. The enve-
c 2
20 THE MASTER OF TUE MINE
lope was of peculiar yellow paper, and the post-
mark looked foreign.
Madeline, who sat close by, turned white
and eager, and her great eyes fixed themselves
on the strange missive.
Within the letter to Munster, was a smaller
one, which he handed to Madeline silently.
With impetuous eagerness, she opened and
read it. It was very short. As she glanced
over it, her bosom rose and fell, her eyes
brightened and filled with tears.
To hide her trouble, she rose and left the
room.
Meanwhile, Munster evinced similar sur-
prise and consternation. He bit his lips as he
read his letter, and passed his hand nervously
through his hair. Then, with a significant
look, he passed the letter to his wife, who,
reading it, in her turn became similarly
troubled.
XEMESIS INTERVENES 21
As he passed tlie letter to her, something
dropped rustling to the floor, and Munster,
looking rather red, stooped and picked it up.
It was a curiously printed paper, and looked
like the note of some foreim bank.
Breakfast was finished — school began — but
Madeline did not appear. Munster still looked
fidgety and annoyed.
As for myself, I was torn by sensations to
which my little heart had been hitherto a
stranger. I felt on the brink of a precipice,
down which all that I held dear was disap-
pearing. I could not eat, I could not say my
tasks, I could not think. What was going to
happen? I asked myself wildly again and
again.
At two o'clock, when we were summoned
to dinner, no sight of Madeline. But by this
time some hint of the truth was forcing itself
upon me.
22 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
A whisper liad passed round the school —
' Madehne Graham is going away ! '
Going away? Whither? To that far-
distant, that mysterious land whence she had
come, and whither I might never follow her ?
Going away for ever ! Passing westward, and
taking with her all that made my young life
beautiful and happy. Could this be ?
I shall never forget the agony of that day.
I have had blows since, but none harder. I
have felt desolation since, but none deeper.
After scliool, I hung round the house,
haunted every spot where she might be ex-
pected to appear. I yearned to hear the truth
from her own lips, I paced to and fro like a
criminal awaiting his sentence. I could not
bear the sight of the other boys, but kept to
the secret places, moody and distracted.
Quite late in the evening, I wandered into
the garden — a favourite resort of ours. The
NEMESIS INTERVENES 23
sun had sunk, but his slowly fading hght was
still tinting the quiet place, and the shadows of
trees and bushes were still distinct upon the
ground.
I had not been here long when I heard the
foot I knew, and, turning, I beheld my little
friend hastening towards me.
She was pale, but otherwise composed, and
said at once :
' Have you heard that I am going away ? '
I stammered something, I know not what ;
it must have been inaudible. I had a sharp,
choking sensation, and drooped my looks from
hers.
' I have just got a letter from my father. I
am to go back home immediately. See ! '
So saying, she placed in my hand the small
enclosure which she had received from Munster
in the morning. Seeing my puzzled look, she
exclaimed :
24 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' You may read it.'
I did read it, in one quick, painful glance.
I remember every word of it now. It was
written in a large, bold hand, and ran as
follows : —
'My own darling little Madeline, — You
will hear from the good people witli whom you
are living that a great change has taken place,
and that you must come home at once. Wish
a kind good-bye to all your friends in England ;
perhaps you may never see them again. Come
without delay to your loving father,
' EoDERicK Graham.'
Prepared as I had been for the blow, it did
not fall so heavily as it might have done. I
struggled with my feelings, and choked down a
violent tendency to cry.
She perceived my consternation, and was
herself moved. But there was a quick, strange
NEMESIS INTERVENES 25
light in her eyes, as if she were contemplating
something far away.
' I have prayed many a night that my
father would send for me,' she said, thought-
fully ; ' and now he has done so, I scarcely feel
glad. I am afraid there is sonetlnng wrong at
home. Shall you be sorry, Hugh, when I
go?'
At this open question I broke down utterly,
and burst into a violent sob.
She put her hands in mine, and looked
earnestly into my face.
' I thought you would be sorry. None of
them will miss me so much as you. We have
been great friends ; I never thought I could be
such friends with a boy. I shall tell my father
of you, and he will like you, too. "Will you
kiss me, Hugh, and say good-bye ? '
I could not answer for tears ; but I put my
arms roiuid her neck, and I did kiss her — a
26 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
pure, true, loving boy's kiss, worth a million
of the kisses men buy or steal in the broad
world.
My tears moistened her cheek as I did so,
but she did not cry herself.
She was altogether calm and superior,
bowing down to my boyhood, compassionating
and cherishing me ; but in all possibility
sharing little of my intense personal passion.
She was nearer womanhood than I to manhood
(girls always are more mature than boys) ; and
she took my worship in gentle state. A queen,
kissed by a loyal subject, could not offer her
cheek more royally than little Madeline offered
her cheek to me.
Yet her manner was full of strong affection,
too. She would miss me, I felt sure.
In the midst of my agony, I found words to
inquire how soon our dreaded parting was to
take place. What was my astonishment to
NEMESIS INTERVENES 27
hear that she was going to leave Minister's at
ouce.
^ ' There is a ship to sail in two days, and I
must go away to Liverpool to-morrow, early in
the morning. My poor father! There is
something very wrong indeed, and it will be
many a week before we meet, though the ship
should sail ever so fast.'
As I write, recollection darkens, the sun
sinks behind the little garden ; the little shape
fades away, and it is dark night. I seem to
remember no more.
But what is this that gleams up before me ?
It is the faint grey light of dawn. I have
been in a very disturbed sleep, and am
awakened by a harsh sound in the distance.
It is the sound of carriage-wheels.
I start up ; it is daylight.
I hear a hum of voices in tlie house below.
28 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
Witlioiit awakening any of my companions
in the room, I creep to the window, and look
out. •
How cliilly looks the cold damp world
outside ! How pitiless and cold lie the dews
on the leaves all around ! I shiver, and my
heart aches.
A travelling-carriage stands at tlie door, and
a sleepy-eyed coachman yawns on the box.
Hush ! yonder from the house-porch comes
Mi's. Munster, and by her side the little figure
that I love.
The proud spirit is broken this morning,
and the little eyes look soft and wet. Madehne
clings to her protectress, and nods adieu to
the servants, who flock around to bid her fare-
v/ell.
She does not look this way. Does she
think at all of the poor friendless boy whose
heart she has filled with her beauty, and whose
NEMESIS INTERVENES 29
eyes are watching her so wildly from the cur-
tained bedroom window up above ?
The coachman cracks his whip, the horses
break into a trot, the little one leans out, and
waves her handkerchief until the carriage
rounds the corner, and is hid from view.
Madehne ! Little Madeline !
I have fallen upon my knees by my bed-
side, and am passionately kissing the lock of
hair I begged from her last night. My heart
seems l3reaking. All the world has grown
dark for me in a moment.
To what new trouble is this that I am about
to waken, now that the one star of my life's
dawn has faded away ?
30 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
CHAPTER III.
AFTER TEN YEARS, I BEGIN LIFE IN EARNEST.
The prologue over, tlie drama of my life
begins. There is always a prologue of some
sort, in which the keynote of life is generally
struck for good or evil, pleasure or pain.
Mine is the episode of Little Madeline. Much
of the spirit of what has been told will sur-
vive in the events which I am now about to
narrate.
Madeline Graham faded at once and for
ever out of my boyish existence. I neither
saw nor heard from her directly; but some
months after her arrival in her distant home.
I BEGIN" LIFE IN EARNEST 31
there arrived a wonderful parcel, full of dried
fruits, nuts, and other foreign edibles, addressed,
in the hand I knew, to ' Master Hugh Trelaw-
ney,' at Munster's. My schoolmates laughed
wildly on its arrival. I tore it open, expecting
to find some message in writing, showing me
that I was not forgotten. There was not a line.
With a somewhat heavy heart, I distributed
the more perishable fruits among my school-
mates, reserving a very little for myself — for I
had no heart to eat. I stored up many of the
nuts in my trunk, till they were quite mouldy
and rotten. When I was obliged to throw
them away, I seemed to cast away at the same
moment all my hope of seeing my dear little
love again.
No other message — no other gift — ever
came ; though I wrote, in my round, boyish
hand, a little letter of thanks and kind wishes.
Ail crew silent. Little Madeline mipjlit be
32 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
lying in her grave, far over the lonely waters,
for aught I knew to the contrary.
I remained at Minister's until I was four-
teen. In all these years I never forgot Made-
line, never ceased to mention her name every
night when I prayed by my bedside, never
relinquished the thought of some day sailing
across the ocean, and looking on the dear
bright face again.
This intense and solitary passion became, if
I may so express it, the secret strength of my
life. It brightened the coarse and indigent ex-
perience of school-life, filled it with tender and
mysterious meanings and associations ; it made
me inquiring and tender, instead of hard and
mean ; it determined my tastes in favour of
beauty, and made me reverence true woman-
hood wherever I saw it. In a word, it gave
my too commonplace experience just the colour-
ing of romance it needed, and made the dry
I BEGIX LIFE IX EARNEST 33
reality of life blossom with simple poetry,, in a
dim religious light from far away.
What wonder, then, if, at fourteen, I found
myself reading imaginative books and w^'iting
verses — of which early compositions, be certain,
Madeline ^vas the chief and never-wearying
theme.
I had taken tolerable advantage of Munster's
tuition, and was sufficiently well grounded in
the details of an ordinary English education. I
had, moreover, a smattering of Latin, which, in
my after struggle for subsistence, turned out
very useful. 1 should have progressed still
further under the care of my schoolmaster, but
at this period my father died, and I found
myself cast upon the world.
It is not my purpose — it is unnecessary — to
enlarge on my own private history, and I shall
touch upon it merely in so far as it affects the
strange incidents in which I afterwards became
VOL. I. D
34 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
an actor. Things were at this point when I one
mornin2^ received the starthn^^ intelh<T;ence that
my fother was dead, and tliat I Avas left alone
in all the world. The first feeling which the
news produced in me was one of very con-
fused and dubious sorrow. Of late years I had
seen very little of my father. Since I had
come to Munster's I had been left there, never
even going home for my holidays as other boys
did. Munster's was my home, and to all
intents and purposes Mr. and Mrs. Munster
were a flither and mother to me. Still, for all
that, the knowledge that I had a, father in some
remote quarter of the globe, who paid for my
maintenance, and came to Munster's about once
in six or eight months to spend an hour with
me, had been a source of some satisfaction, and
caused me now, for a short time at least, to
deplore his loss.
Then came other and more complicated
I BEGIX LIFE IX EARNEST 35
tliOLiglits. If I had no longer a father to pay
for my maintenance, what was to become of
me ; for, as far as I knew, I had no other
relation in the world? Puzzled by these
thoughts, and seeing no solution to them, I
could do nothinGj but wait in eagerness and
dread for what was to follow.
The next morning, when I Avas dressing,
Mrs. Munster came into my bedroom and
handed me a jacket with a crape band on the
left arm ; she also pointed to a cap which she
had brought in with her, and said,
' You must wear this one now, Huo;h.'
Then she turned, bent her kindly eyes
upon me, and kissed my forehead and mur-
mured, ' My poor boy ! '
I ventured to inquire whether I was to see
my poor father in his coffin or to follow him to
the grave. The tears came into the woman's
eyes, and she took my hand.
D 2
36 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' You will never see liim again,' she said;
' never. lie died in America, and was buried
before we received the news. But you are a
brave boy,' she added, ' and must not grieve.
It is sad for you, my dear ; but trouble is sure
to come sooner or later. If it comes when one
is young, so much the better, for one is better
able to bear it.'
' Mrs. Munster,' I said piteously, ' what is to
become of me ? '
The good lady shook her liead.
' I don't know, my dear,' she replied ;
' your poor father has not left you a sixpence
. . . . Hugh,' she added, suddenly, 'have you
any relations ? '
' No,' I replied, ' not one.'
* Are you sure?' she continued. 'Think,
my dear.'
I did think, but it was of no use. My brain
I BEGIN LIFE IX E/TINEST 37
would not conjure up one being to whom I
could posiibly lay any claim.
' No uncles, or aunts, or cousins ? ' persisted
'Mis. Munster ; wlien suddenly I exclaimed —
' Yes, Mrs. Munster ; now I remember, I've
got an aunt. At least, I had an aunt ; but she
may be dead, like father.'
'Let us hope not,' said Mrs. Munster.
* Well, my dear, tell me what she is like, and
where she is to be found.'
' I don't know what she is like,' I replied.
' I never saw her.'
' Never saw her ? '
' No ; she never came near us : but I've
heard father speak about her. She was my
mother's sister, and her name is Martha Pen-
dragon, and she lives at Cornwall.'
'Martha Pendragon,' repeated Mrs. Mun-
ster. ' Is she married ? '
I reflected for a moment, then I remem-
38 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
bered having seen letters addressed to ' Mrs.
Pendrao'on,' and I said as nuicli.
' And where does she Uve ? '
' St. Gurlott's, Cornwalh'
Mrs. Minister Avrote it down.
'"Mrs. Martha Peudragon, St. Gurlott's,
Cornwall." It looks promising, as I dare say
St. Gurlott's is a very small place. Make
yourself as contented as you can for a few days,
my dear. I will write to the lady and ask her
what she means to do.'
I could do nothing else but wait, and I
accordingly did so ; though I foimd it utterly
impossible to take Mrs. Munster's advice, and
preserve a contented frame of mind.
My exceedingly hazy recollections of my
aunt's communications were by no means such
as to inspire confidence. I began to ask myself,
for the first time, why it was she had never
been permitted to visit my mother in her home;
I BEGIN LIFE IN EAKNEST 39
why my mother, who was evidently fond of
her sister, had never made a journey into
Cornwall to see her; and, above all, why my
aimt had never come to visit my own mother
when she was dying ? Thus I speculated for
four days, at the end of that time I saw Mrs.
Munster receive a letter, open it, read it, and
glance strangely at me.
' It is from your aunt, my dear,' she said ;
then, looking at the letter again, she added :
' She is your aunt, I suppose ? '
' From Mrs. Pendraoon ? ' I asked.
* Yes,' she replied, with a strange smile.
' From your Aunt Martha.'
I wanted to hear more, but no more came.
Mrs. Munster again turned lier attention to the
letter, and began studying it as intently as if
she were carefully working out some abstruse
mathematical problem. Presently, her husband
came into the room, and she handed him the
40 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
letter. My curiosity received a fresh stimulus
when I saw him start at siglit of it, read it
twice, and then glance, as I thouglit, half
pityingly at me.
' I suppose it's all right,' he said, turning to
his wife ; ' the boy must go.'
She nodded her head thoughtfully.
'It seems a pity, doesn't it, after the
education he has had ? ' she said to her hus-
band ; then turning to me, she added, ' Let me
see, Ilugh, how old are you now ? '
I replied that I was fourteen.
' And are you sure you have no other
relations except this — this Aunt Martha as she
calls herself.? '
I replied that during the last few days I
had been racking my brain incessantly on that
subject, but without avail.
' Well,' she said, ' I suppose your Aunt
Martha is better than nobody, my dear — she
I BEGIN LIFE IN EARNEST 41
seems a good-natured sort of person, and is
quite willing to give you a home ; but it seems
a pity to take you from school before your
education is complete, and if we could find
another relation who would let you stay here
it would be so much better for you. I will
write again to your aunt, she may know of
someone though you do not — your father's
relations for instance ; but if she does not —
why, the only thing you can do is to go to
Cornwall'
I accordingly had to wait a few more days,
at the end of which time another letter was
received from my mysterious relative. Tliis
time it failed to brin<]f with it diso;ust or amaze-
ment, and conveyed only disappointment.
' Your aunt tells me she is your only rela-
live on your mother's side,' said Mrs. Munster,
' and your father's family she knows nothing
about. She has fixed Thursday as the day
42 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
on which you are to go to her ; therefore, my
dear child, I see no hel23 for it : you must leave
us!'
Thus it was settled. On the Thursday
morning I, accompanied by my small stock of
luggage, started on my travels, and saw the last
of Munster's.
43
CHAPTER IV.
JOHN RUDD, POET AND CARRIER.
Munster's was situated in tlie suburbs of Soutli-
ampton. It was arranged, therefore, that I
should journey by a small steamer as far as
Falmouth, and thence by road to St. Gurlott's-
on-Sea. I was conducted to the boat by Mr.
Munster. On arriving at Falmouth, after an
uneventful passage, I was met on board by a
rough-looking person, who informed me that
he had been deputed by ' Missus Pendragon '
to convey me and my belongings to St.
Gurlott's.
What manner of man he was I could
scarcely tell, beyond realising the fact that he
44 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
was of tremendous height, that he wore a white
beaver hat, and that liis figure was wrapped in
an enormous frieze coat which reached to his
ankles. He gave a glance at me, and then said
in a peculiar pipy voice —
' Come, lad, gie's the tip about your boxes,
and well move on : the mare's got a journey
afore 'un, and we'm best nawt be late ! '
I moved aft, and pointed out to him my
little trunk. He looked at it in much the same
way as a giant might look at a pebble, put it
quietly under his arm, and moved off again,
inviting me to follow. We crossed the gang-
way, and came on to the quay. Here we found
a large van, and a fat sleepy-looking roan
horse. The wasisfon was roofed with black tar-
paulin, and on the side was painted, in large
white letters,
* JOHX TvUDD, CARRIER, ST. GURLOTT's.'
JOIIX RUDD, rOET AND CAKRIER, 45
On coming up to the vehicle, my conductor
paused and disposed of my trunk, then, turning
to me with a ' Come, young master, jump in,'
he gave me a hft which summarily placed me
inside and on the top of my box ; then, before
I had time to recover myself, I felt that the
waggon was jolting along.
What the day was like, and what sort of a
prospect we were passing through, I had not
the remotest idea ; the tarpaulin and the
enormous figure of the driver completely
shuttino- me in from the world. I waited for
a while, thinking, perhaps, my companion
mi""ht turn communicative and make some
suggestion as to my better disposal ; but none
came. He sat like a log, and, beyond a few
disjointed exclamations to the horse, uttered
not a sound.
As he evidently had no intention whatever
of taking the slii:^litest further notice of me, I
46 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
tliouglit it best to approacli liim. I accord-
ingly shouted ' Hi ! ' several times and gave
liim a few vigorous pokes in the back ; but
neither of these attempts producing the shghtest
clTect, I conchided he must bo asleep. I ac-
cordingly swung olT the van behind, and,
running beside the horse, hullo VI to him from
the road.
This trick told better. Mr. Eudd, who
seemed, indeed, to have become oblivious of
the world, gradually turned his face towards me
and erazed at me for a time with a vacuous
stare. Then he pulled up the horse with a
jerk.
' The Lord preserve 'ee ! ' he said, ' what's
the lad doin' thar ? '
I explained that I had swung out of the
waggon, because it was not pleasant inside, and
added :
' Have you got room up there for two, Mr.
Eudd ? '
JOHN RUDD, POET AXD CARRIER 4T
Instead of replying to my question, he gave
a chuckle, and said :
* You'm a smart 'un : Mr. Eudd, eh ? Now,
haw did you come to knaw that thar', young
master, eh ? '
I explained that I had concluded from his
appearance that he must be the master of the
van, upon which ' Jolni Eudd ' Avas painted ;
but he only chuckled again and piped :
' You'm a little 'un to be such a scholard ! '
As I saw he was about to become fossilised
again, I hastened to repeat my former question.
Mr. Eudd gazed abstractedly at the seat and
then at me.
' Mayn't I come up,' I said, ' it's so close
inside the van, and I would rather ride beside
you, Mr. Eudd ? ' Then, without giving him
time for a refusal, I leapt up and nestled beside
him.
Mr. Eudd made no protest — he simply said,
48 THE MASTER OF THE MINE.
' Move on, mare,' and tlie mare moved on
forthwith.
We had left Falmouth belnnd us, and were
moving cumbrously along the high road.
Looking to the right and to tlie left I could see
nothing but undulating sweeps of land, bleak
and barren, with the stony highway stretching
before us, and w^inding about, serpent fashion,
until it was lost to view. We were travellinsf
westward, evidently, and, as far as prospect
went, we might be going forward into the
Desert, There was not a cart or horse or
human being to be seen anywhere; and the
only sound was the rattle of the waggon, as it
passed along over the rough road.
It was past mid-day, and the sun was as
hot as it had been any day that summer. As
I felt it scorching my face and head, I looked
at my companion, and marvelled again. His
huge ulster-coat was buttoned up to his chin,
JOHX RUDD, POET AXD CAKRIER 49
and his great round face was shaded by liis
liroad felt hat. He was by no means a bad-
looking man, and he was still young — only
five-anct- thirty, or thereabouts. His skin was
tanned and weather-beaten, and his eyes were
fixed upon the mare with his habitual dreamy
stare.
Finding it was useless to expect him to talk,
I sat for a time quietly by his side, watching,
with some amount of interest, the roudi and
stony track we were following ; then, when we
had covered a mile or so, the mare went along
at a walk, and I leapt lightly into the road and
kept pace beside her.
My change of position once more aroused
my companion from his trance ; he turned his
eye slowly upon me, and said :
' I reckon you knaw a deal ? '
I replied, modestly, that I knew a thing
or two.
VOL. I. E
50 THE MASTER OF THE ]\[INE
' I wonder naw,' he said, ' whether you can
write ? '
I answered with some decision tliat I •
certainly could, at Avhich I thought his face
fell.
' Poetry, naw ? ' he inquired. ' Warses
like ? '
I replied that though I was able to write
a capital hand, I had only once or twice aspired
to original composition ; at which he chuckled
delightedly, then, fixing his eyes with a
fascinated glare upon my face, he repeated
in a hidi shrill voice the foUowinc^ lines : —
To Missus Pendragon, who's always so pleasant,
John Ptudd, of St. Gurlott's, brings tliis little present.
May her life he as sweet as best sugar can he,
And the only hot water he mixed wi' her tea !
'What do you think o' that?' he asked
anxiously.
'Very good,' I rephed. 'Where did you
read it ? In a book ? '
JOHN RUDD, POET AXD CARRIER 51
' I didn't read 'im, master, I icrote 'un," he
replied. ' Leastways, I should ha' wrote 'un if
I could write. Naw, you'm a smart chap,
pr'aps yon could take them lines dawn ? '
' Of course I could,' I replied. Whereupon
I produced a pencil from my waistcoat pocket,
and, asking Mr. Eudd to repeat the verse
again, I transcribed it on the back of an old
letter.
When I handed up the paper to Mr. Eudd,
his face became positively gleeful.
' You're a smart chap,' he repeated, ' nawt
much doubt o' that.'
' Do you make muck poetry ? ' I asked.
He nodded his head slowly.
' A goodish bit,' he replied : ' leastways, I
should if I'd alius a smart 'un like you at hand
to take 'un down. But I'm naw hand at set-
ting dawn at it, and it dawn't alius keep in my
head. 'Tis a e;ift,' he continued. ' It all began
E2
52 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
■vvheu I were a lad, a-driving up and dawn
Falmoutli way wi' father. Then I used to hear
the old wa<mon £^o " turn to turn " alawno- the
road, and tlie warses they came and kept time.
Lord ! to think o' the thousands of bootiful
pomes I ha' made : they'd make a wallum ; and
I've got 'em all here in my head, thick as bees
in a beehive, all a-buzzing together, one atop a'
t'other.'
' Do you live at St. Gurlott's, Mr. Eudd ? '
' Iss, young master ; I drives this here
van three times a week to Falmouth and
back.'
'Then perhaps I'll be able to take down
some of your poems for you. I am going to
live there, too, you know ! '
This idea pleased the drowsy giant im-
mensely. He was about to expatiate upon it,
when a heavy rain-drop falling on his hand
brought him back from the clouds.
JOHN KUDD, rOET AXD CAKEIER 53
* Lawd love the lad ! ' lie exclaimed, ' how
we be a-loitering. Here, jump up, young
master, we'm got a good twelve miles afore
us yet, aud a black night prawmising to come.'
I took the hand which he extended to me,
and which looked like a giant's paw, and sprang
up to my seat beside him.
'Hurry up, Martha,' he said, 'get on, old
garl,' and the mare's slow walk broke into a
trot, which caused the waixo-on to rattle and
shake, and my teeth to clatter in my head.
The prospect still continued bleak, but it
was now not quite so desolate. To the right
and left of us still stretched the bleak moorland,
but now it was broken up by green hillocks
and belts of woodland. Here and there on the
meadows were cattle grazing, while at intervals
were white-washed cottages with little gardens
running down to the roadside. From time to
time we rounded some quiet bay, and caught a
54 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
glimpse of the sea. Presently, far ahead of us,
I saw clustering houses, from the midst of
which arose a church spire.
' What is that ? ' I asked.
He seemed to know by instinct what I
meant, for he replied w^ithout taking his eyes
off the horse.
'That, young master, be Craigruddock.
We'll stawp there for a bit of summat to eat
and drink, and to gie the mare a rest.'
When we entered the villa£!;e of Crain;rud-
dock our appearance caused no little stir.
John Eudd was evidently well known — for as
the lumbering waggon went rattling down the
little street, shock-headed children came peep-
ing out of the doorways, and here and there a
peasant woman made her appearance, and
nodded cheerfully to us as we went by. For
each and all John Eudd had a good-humoured
grin, which I thought broadened a httle as the
JOHX KUDD, POET AND CARRIER 55
waggon was pulled up witli a jerk before the
door of the inn. Here, after some little trouble,
we got something to eat, a few boiled eggs,
and some home-baked bread. When the
horse had been rested, we started again on our
journey.
The warm day was succeeded by a cold
evening, and with the darkness had come rain.
I was glad to follow John Eudd's example, to
wrap myself well up in my overcoat, before I
again took my seat behind the mare. We
jolted on again, covering what seemed to me
an interminable space. The darkness rapidly
increased, the rain continued to fall, and, worn
out with fatigue, I fell into a fitful doze.
I was dimly conscious of the waggon roll-
ing on, of John Eudd makincj; occasional dis-
jointed remarks, rhythmical in character, to
which he evidently expected no reply, and of
certain stoppages, when John mysteriously
56 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
disappeared, and returned refreshed and
strengthened for liis work.
At lengtli, however, John Eudd's voice
aroused me indeed.
' Wawk lip, young master,' said he ; ' we'm
gettin' pratty nigh your place.'
I roused myself and looked about me, but
tjiere was nothing to be seen. Darkness en-
compassed us on every hand ; the wind was
sighing softly, making a sound like the distant
murmur of the sea. Presently the waggon
stopped. Tlie carrier jumped down, and waited
for me to do the same ; then he gave a peculiar
whistle as he went round to the back of the
waggon to haul out my trunk.
The whistle had its effect. The darkness
was suddenly penetrated by a light, which
seemed quite close to us, and a man's voice
called out in a broad country dialect ;
' Be that you, John Eudd ? '
JOHN EUDD, rOET AND CAKEIER 57
' Iss, mate,' returned Eudd. ' Yon katch
hold o' the young gentleman. I ha' gawt the
bawx.'
' Be this the lad ? ' asked the voice, as I felt
a heavy hand laid upon my shoulder.
' Iss.'
' Waal, my lad, you be welcome to St.
Gurlott's ! '
The hand kept hold of my shoulder and led
me along. The next thing I became conscious
of was standing upon the threshold of an open
door, and of the voice of my guide saying,
heartily :
' Yar lie be, Martha ! '
Then another voice, that of a woman,
answered :
' Lawd love the lad ; let's look at 'un ! ' and
then there was silence.
I found myself standing in the middle of a
quaint Cornish kitchen, gazing upon my newly
58 THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
found friends. The individual who had led
me into the kitchen, and who turned out to be
my uncle, was a tall broadly built man, dressed
in a red-stained suit of coarse flannel, said suit
consisting merely of a shirt and a pair of
trousers. His hands were big and broad and
very red, his head was thickly covered with
coarse black hair, and he spoke the broadest of
Cornish dialect in a voice of thunder. Having
finished my inspection of mmiber one, I glanced
at number tivo — namely, my aunt. She was a
comely-looking woman of forty, very stout and
motherly in appearance. She wore a cotton
dress, a large coarse apron, and a curious cap,
not unlike the coifs so popular in Brittany.
My amazement at the sight of these two
individuals was so strong that I could scarcely
force my lips to utter a word : but if my sur-
prise was great, theirs seemed greater. After
the first glance at me, they looked uneasily at
JOHN EUDD, POET AND CARRIER 59
one another, tlie genial smiles faded from their
faces, and the words of welcome died upon
their lips.
A pleasant interruption to all this was John
Eudd, who at this moment came in with my
trunk upon his shoulder and placed it down on
the kitchen floor, then wiped his brow and
opened his overcoat.
' It's martal bad weather you'm brought
alang wi' ye, Mr. Eudd,' said my aunt ; ' yar,
ha' summat to keep off the rain.'
She handed him a crlass of ale, which he
drank.
' Thank ye, missus,' said he, drawing the
back of his hand across his mouth. Then he
made a dive into the voluminous folds of his
coat and produced a packet.
' That be for you, missus,' said he ; 'a
httle present, wi' John Eudd's respects ; tea
60 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
and sugar, wi' a suitable inscription o' my
awn making.'
' Thank you, Mr. Eudd,' returned my aunt,
taking the packet. ' You'm vary kind.'
' Eead the warses, missus ; read the
warses ! ' said Mr. Eudd, whereupon she
proceeded to do so.
It was a proud moment for John Eudd ;
he seemed to expand with pleasure. And
though to all intents and purposes he was
gazing upon Mrs. Pendragon, he rolled one
eye round my way, as if to watch the effect
upon me. When the reading was done he
smiled affably, while my uncle brought down
his open hand heavily upon his knee.
' Waal done, John, waal done ! ' cried my
imcle, heartily ; while another voice, one
which I then heard for the first time, said :
' Oh, Mr. Eudd, what beautiful poetry you
do write ! '
JOHN EUDD, FOET AND CARRIER 61
At the sound of the voice all eyes, mine
amongst the rest, were turned upon the
speaker, whom I discovered to be a little girl
somewhat about my own age, or perhaps a
trifle younger, so pretty, and so quaintly
dressed, she looked like a little Dresden china
shepherdess.
' Wha, Annie ! ' said my aunt.
' I declare I'd forgot all about 'ee ! ' my
uncle added. ' Come yar, ray lass, and say
how do ye do to yer cousin ! '
At this, the little girl came forward, and,
gazing earnestly at me, timidly offered me her
hand.
Suddenly, John Eudd, who had been
fumbling about his coat again, produced
another packet, which he this time handed to
my cousin. She opened it, and found it
contained a brightly coloured shawl and a
sheet of foolscap, on which some lines were
62 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
penned. Knowing Mr. Eudd's weakness,
Annie proceeded to read the lines :
To Annie Pendragon, tvIio charms all bolioldors,
.Tolin Rudd, of St. Gurlott's, sends this for her shoulders ;
That she'll always be happy, in sunshine and in flood,
'Tis the wish of her friend and admirer, J. Rudd.
Having read the verses, Annie fell to
volubly admiring them and the shawl ; but
Mr. Eudd, feeling the praise too much for him,
gleefully took his departure. He paused at
the door, however, to give me a last look, and
to express a wish that we should become better
acquainted.
The moment he was gone, attention was
again concentrated upon me. My aunt took a
good look at me, trying to fmd traces of my
mother and father in my face. My uncle
discovered I Avas both wet and cold ; while
Annie said :
' Why don't you give him his supper,
JOIIX EUDD, POET AND CARRIER 63
mother ; I'm sure lie must be hmigry after that
lono- ride wi' Mr. Eiidd.'
Annie's suggestion was adopted, and we all
sat down to supper. While I ate, I had
leisure to look about me. The kitchen was
large and homely in the extreme, with a clean
stone-paved floor beneath and great black
rafters above, from which hung flitches of
bacon, bundles of tallow candles, and divers
articles of attire. The ingle was great and
broad, with seats within it, formed of polished
black oak, and the fire burned on the open
hearth. In one corner was a recess, with
curtains, containing a bed, which I afterwards
discovered was to be mine for the night.
Very little was said or done that evening.
If I was astonished at the sight of my relatives,
they were equally so at the sight of me. A
sort of constraint came upon us all. I was not
sorry to find that they were very early people,
C4 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
and that at ten o'clock tliey retired, and left
nie to make myself as comfortable as I could in
the press bed in the kitchen. My head was
aching, partly from fatigue and partly from
excitement, and no sooner did I lay it upon
tha pillow than I fell into a sound sleep.
G5
CHAPTER y.
ANNIE.
I WAS awakened next morning by the sound of
voices in the chamber, and, looking forth from
my sleephig-phice, I saw my uncle, seated in
his stained flannel clothes, devouring a sub-
stantial breakfast of tea and home-baked cakes
of my aunt's making, waited on by little Annie,
who, seen in the bright morning light, looked
even cleaner and neater than she had looked
tlie night before.
' Lawd love 'ee, little woman,' my uncle
was saying, ' who put that sart o' nawnsense
into your head ! I warrant Tawm Penruddock,
or some other gomeril, ha' been up here clack-
vo:.. I. F
66 , THE MASTER OP THE MINE
ing to mother. Dawn't go dawn the mine nav/
more ? Why, the mine's bread and butter,
vittles and drink, to you and me ! '
' Tom Penruddock says 'taint safe, father,'
returned Annie ; ' and Tom ought to know, for
he's worked there ever since he w^as born.'
'He knaws no more than this chunk o'
bread, httle woman. He's the idlest chap o' the
gang, Tawm is. There, dawn't you worrit.
The Lawd's under the earth as well as above it,
and "11 take care of father, never fear ! '
Unseen in my corner, I slipton my clothes ;
but, by the time I had done so, my uncle had
left the cottage. Annie was still there, and she
took me to a little bedroom upstairs where I
washed, and brushed my hair. Descending
again to the quaint old kitchen, I found my
aunt, just come in from feeding the poultry.
She gave me a kindly nod ; then sitting down
at the table, drew me gently to her, and push-
AXXIE 07
ing the hair olT my forehead, looked thought-
fully into my face.
' Let me look at 'ee by daylight, lad ! Ay,
I was right — you be as like your poor father as
one pea is like another. Lawd forbid you
should e'er be half as clever ! '
' Why not, mother ? ' asked Annie, who was
looking on with a smile.
' Because he were too clever to sattle down.
He rambled up and dawn like a moor pony,
till the Lawd took 'un, and ne'er made himself a
home ; and when he died there was none of his
kith and kin near him to close his eyes. Thar,
lad, sit dawn and take your brakfast. We'll try
to mak a man of 'ee, for my poor sister's
sake.'
This sudden allusion to my dead parents,
coupled with the strangeness of my surroundings,
brought before me more forcibly than ever the
utter forlornness of my position ; and sent the
r 2
6S THE MASTER OF THE MINE
tears starting to my eyes. I fancy Annie no-
ticed this, for she quickly changed the subject,
asked her mother for some more hot scones,
and put a chair for me at the table.
This diversion gave me ample thne to
recover myself. Feeling heartily ashamed of
my exhibition of weakness, I swallowed the
lump in my throat, dashed the back of my
hand across my eyes, and determined from that
hour forth to remember that tears did not
become ' a man.'
The breakfast was appetising — perhaps from
the very strangeness of it. Never before in my
life had I had placed before me, at eight o'clock
in the morning, a meal of hot scones, boiled
potatoes, and milk ; yet I mightily pleased my
aunt by disposing of enough to keep me going
for the rest of the day.
' Ah ! lad,' she exclaimed, as her bright
eye kindled with pleasure, 'you's gaAvt some
ANXIE 69
Cornisli blood in 'ee after all, aud can eat your
vittles "with a relish. You'm got no proud
stomach, my lad, and will be a man like your
uncle before lawng.'
The breakfast being over, my aunt and
Annie busied themselves with ' setting things to
rights ' ; and, feeling somewhat in the way, I
took my cap and strolled out, to find out if I
could what sort of a country I had been landed
in.
The kitclien door opened directly into the
' back-yard,' as they called it, and here I found
the poultry leisurely picking up the grain which
my aunt liad given them before breakfast.
Here I found, too, a mongrel puppy, a sort of
cross between a collie and a greyhound, it
seemed to me, which, the moment I made my
appearance, came wriggling, serpent fashion,
about my feet.
I pas.sed througli the yard, i^ound to the
70 THE [MASTER OF THE MINE
front of the house, the puppy following close
at my heels. The front of the cottage was very
trim and neat; and there was a very small
garden, here, which was tolerably well culti-
vated : I afterwards learned it belonged to
Annie, and owed its pretty appearance entirely
to her hands. It was a curious illustration of
the minn-linsj in her of the useful and orna-
mental. She was passionately fond of flow^ers,
and two-thirds of her little garden was devoted
to them, Avhile in the other third were beds of
mustard and cress, radishes, and celery, with
which she regularly supplied ' relishes ' for the
table.
Having made a rapid survey of the little
garden, I turned my eyes on the prospect before
and beside me. The cottage, which stood alone
on a slight eminence, was faced immediately by
the high road which swept past and curved on
to the village, which lay some quarter of a mile
AXME 71
to tlie left. Immediately before me was what
seemed to me a dark expanse of morass, bleak
and barren enouo'li, and dotted here and there
with clumps of stunted trees. Beyond was the
sea — calm, cold, and glimmering hke steel.
I strolled carelessly along the road, amusing
myself from time to time by throwing a stick
and trying to teach the puppy to retrieve. A
couple of hundred yards from the cottage, I
came to an iron gate, surrounded by a planta-
tion of fir-trees, and with a long avenue leading
I knew not whither. Here I paused, and,
without thinking, threw the stick as far as I
could up the avenue. ■ But the puppy crouched
at my feet, and declined to stir. So I opened
the gate and went in.
I had not gone many yards when a sharp
voice arrested me.
' Here, I say, you ! ' it cried. ' What are
you doing here ? '
72 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
I looked lip, and saw a boy of about my
own age, dressed like a young gentleman. lie
had black hair, black eyebrows, that came
close together, and a hanging lip. I saw at
once, by his dress and manner, that he was no
miner's son.
' Look here, you're trespassing, you know,'
he continued ; then suddenly, ' Why, you don't
belong to St. Gurlott's. What's your name ? '
I told my name, and added that I was a
stranger, having come to the village only last
night to live with my Uncle and Aunt
Pendragon. In a moment his face changed ; a
contemptuous sneer curled his lip as he said :
' Old Pendragon's boy, eh? ' then. ' What
do you mean by wearing those clothes? I
thought you were a gentleman ! '
His tone, more than his words, roused all
the latent pride of my nature. Flushing to the
temples, I turned on him.
ANNIE 73
' I am as much a gentleman as you,' I said.
' What ? '
' Oil, I'm not afraid of you ! Do you
know what they'd do with you where I come
from ? They'd thrash you, and send you to
bed, to learn better manners,'
He clenched his fist, and advanced threaten-
ingly towards me. Then, looking at me from
head to foot, and finding that at all events I
was liis superior in point of physical strength,
he changed his mind. I whistled up the
puppy, and walked away.
When I reached the cottage again, I came
face to face with Annie.
' Where have you been? ' she asked.
I told her I liad been rambhug idly about.
She nodded brightly.
' I've got no work to do to-day,' she said ;
'leastways not much. If you like, I'll ask
mother to let me come out and go for a walk.'
74 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' Do,' I said ; and off she flew.
She was a long time gone — so long that I
began to fear tlie permission liad been denied.
She came at length, however, when I saw the
cause of her dcla3^ Her print frock had been
exchanged for a stout gown. She wore a pair
of silk gloves, and a hat which was evidently
intended for Sundays only. As my eye
wandered over these things, she blushed and
tried to appear unconscious.
' Which way shall we go ? ' she said.
I Avas so perfectly unacquainted with the
district that the question seemed to me absurd.
I left the choice to her.
' Which way do you like best ? ' I said.
She pointed with her hand,
' I hke to go tliere,' she said, ' to walk on the
shore.'
' On the shore ? '
' Yes ; don't you see that glittering over
AX.NIE 75
there ? That's the sea, though it looks hke a
bit of the common, now it's so still, I like to
go there and walk on the shore, and see the
ships pass along, and listen to the washing of
the waves on the stones.'
We accordingly started off across the moor-
land towards the sea, and after a mile's Avalk
reached the cliffs.
Wild and desolate, they overhung the
ocean, which was at higli tide. A narrow path
through the rocks led down to the water's edge.
Descending it, with the sea-gulls hovering over
us, we reached the shore, and found there a
sandy creek, and a solitary wooden house. We
looked up : the crags rose above our heads
right up into the blue heaven. Then we
turned our faces towards the sea.
' It isn't like the sea, is it ? ' I asked, as we
stood side by side ; ' it looks like a big broad ,
river.
7G THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' Now ' she assented : ' but it isn't always
like this. The waves are sometimes as high as
houses, and they roar hke wild beasts. Then
there's been ships, big ships that go to India,
broken up here on the rocks, and drowned men
and women have been cast ashore.'
' Have you seen them ? '
' No ; I've only heard tell of them. When
the winds are blowing like that, and the wrecks
come, mother and me stop in the house to pray
for father ! '
' My uncle ? Why, he's a miner.'
' Yes ; but he's one o' the hfe-boat men,
too, 'cause he's so strong. Look at that wooden
house ; that's where they keep the life-boat.'
In following the direction indicated by her
pointing finger, my eye fell upon something
else besides the house which contained the life-
boat ; a rude coble lay floating in the water a
few yards from where we stood. It was
ANXIE 77
attached to an iron rincj driven into the
rocks,
' Whose boat is that ? ' I asked.
' Oh, that belongs to John Endd, the carrier ;
him that brought yon to onr house.'
' Why, what does he do with a boat ? '
' Nothing ; only he found it drifting in from
the sea. Then the master took it away from
him, saying it was his, and offered it for sale ;
as nobody wanted it, he got it back again by
paying a little to the master.'
' And what does he do w^itli it now ? '
' He goes out fishing sometimes, when he's
got the time. Sometimes he gives us a treat.
He took me out in it once.'
' Did you like it ? '
' Oh, yes ! '
' Would you like to go again ? '
' What— now P '
' Yes, now. Suppose we take the boat and
78 THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
pull out for a bit ; it would be good fun — ■
better than staj'iug here.'
She hesitated. There was evidently such a
difTerence in the size of John Eudd and me.
'Do come,' I urged; 'the oa.rs are here
ready, and I can pnll as well as John Paidd.'
Still she liesitated, but yielded finally.
We pushed out the boat together, and I pulled
away out on to the dead calm sea. How [)lcasant
it was there, with the sun pouring its golden
beams upon us, and the water smiling around
and gently lapping the boat's side ! Annie
took off her gloves, and trailed her fingers in
the water ; then she leaned over and looked
down into the emerald depths below, while my
eyes again swept the prospect inland.
Everything was distinguishable from the sea,
the low-lvino- flats stretchiuo- black and desolate
beneath the warm summer sky — the village,
which, from my present point of vantage,
ANNIE 79
seemed but a handful of houses thrown in a
hollow, just beyond the cottage where destiny
had placed me. I also perceived now that
there were numerous other cottages scattered
about the morass, and finally, that there was
one large turreted mansion rising up from a
belt of greenwood.
' What house is that ? ' I asked.
' That? Oh, that is the master's house.'
' The master ? '
' Yes ; Mr. Eedruth, the master of the mine.
Besides that,' she added, ' he's tlie master o' the
whole place.'
' Does he live there ? '
' Yes ; a good part of the year.'
' Anybody else ? '
' The mistress.'
' That's all ? '
' Yes ; except at holiday times, when the
80 THE MASTER OF THE ^IIXE
young master comes liome from school. He's
]iome now.''
Having a suspicion in my mind, I asked lier
■what tlio young master was hke, and she gave
me an accurate description of the boy I had
encountered a few hours before. I said
nothing just then of my adventure ; and, after
this, we fell to dreaming again. Annie looked
down into the sea, while I watched the shore,
past which we were lazily drifting. Suddenly
my eye was attracted to a huge black mass,
which rose like an ominous sliadow between
me and the horizon. I asked Annie what it
was ; and she replied :
' The mine ! '
To her the word liad a world of meaning ;
to me it had none. It simply awakened in me
a keen desire for knowledge, whicli I immedi-
atel}^ wanted to gratify.
' Tlie mine ! ' I said. ' I never thouHit
ANNIE 81
about tlie mine before, or we miglit have gone
to see it. We'll pull in and go now ; shall
we ? '
To my amazement, she half rose from her
seat, and put out her hands, 'as 'if to stop
me.
' No, no ! ' she cried, ' we won't go there —
not to the mine ! '
Her face was white, and she was trembling,
though she was wrapt in the sun's rays as in a
warm mantle of gold.
' What's the matter, Annie ? ' I asked.
' Are you afraid ? '
' Yes,' she said, ' I am afraid of it, because
I know it is cruel. It is like a great black
mouth ; it seems to ask you to come down,
and then it crushes you and you die. I have
seen strong men hke my father go down into it
happy and laughing, and then afterwards I
have seen them brought up dead, all so black
VOL. I. G
82 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
nnd chauiifed and dreadful. Oh, don't talk
about it ; I can't bear it ! '
She shivered again, and covered her eyes
■with her tremblintJ hand, as if to shut out the
sight.
During this conversation, I had been
pulling steadily onward, so that the boat was
now opposite the cliff surmounted by the mine.
I turned the boat's bow shoreward ; then, after
a stroke or two, I rested on my oars and
looked up.
AVe were now right below the cliff, and the
view from our point of vantage was strange
indeed.
On the very summit of the crags I saw the
mining apparatus overhanging the sea. First,
a chimney, smoking loftily at the top ; then
another, smoking less loftily half-way down ;
then, lower down, almost close" to the sea in
AXNIE 83
fact, a third smoking chimney, connected with
what appeared to me to be a small mining
office. On one side of the cliff, tall ladders
were placed, to enable the miners to ascend
from, and to descend to, the shore ; and he
must have a sure foot and a strong head who
could comfortably tread those ladders, round
by round, the sea roaring under him and
almost flinging its spray after him as he went
higher and hiirher. Takin": in the whole ex-
<D <_v »^
ternal apparatus in one view, chains and
pulleys, chimneys and cottages, posts and
winding machines, seemed to be scattered over
the whole face of the cliff, like the spreading
lines of an immense spider's web, while in some
parts mules and their riders were trotting
up and down a rocky track where the
pedestrian visitor would scarcely have dared
to tread.
o 2
84' THE MASTER OF THE MINE
I turned giddy, even at the sight of it. I
rubbed my eyes and looked again at my cousin.
Her trembhng agitation liad passed olT, and
she was lookim^ at me.
' It was silly of me to talk like tliat,' she
said ; ' but I can't help it. Sometimes, when I
think o' them poor men that have been brought
up, and remember that father is there, it a'most
makes me scream ! '
' But tlicre's no danger,' I said, ' now ! '
' There's always danger ! ' she returned.
' Tom Penruddock said so, and I told father,
but he only laughed. Ah, l)ut I've seen others
laugh too — them as is lying now in the church-
yard ! '
This conversation, sad as it was, had its
fascination for me. It made me want to know
more about the mystery of the mine. What I
saw, indeed, was not the mine itself, but only
ANNIE . 85
Its outer machinery. The mahi shaft, Annie
told me, opened down into the sohd earth,
from the body of the chfT, and was covered by
a trap-door, from which dizzy ladders led
down into the subterranean darkness.
80. THE MASTER OF THE M1^'E
CPIArTER VI.
FIRST GLIMrSE OF THE MINE. UNDER THE SEA.
It must not be supposed that my uncle and
aunt, although they had adopted me, could afford
to allow me to eat for very long the bread of
idleness. Had it been necessary, they would
willingly have shared with me their slender
means ; but it was not necessary. I was fourteen
years of age, I had received a good education,
and I was in every way fitted to earn my bread.
But what could I do ? My inclination was for
the sea. I longed to become a sailor ; not
because I had any particular love of ships, but
because I had some wild idea that it midit
FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE MINE 87
ultimately be the means of bringing me to
Madeline. Besides, I must own that I was not
exactly proud of my newly-found relations and a
home which was so different to Munster's. Some-
times at night, when I sat furtively watching my
uncle smoking his pipe in the ingle, and my
aunt darning the stockings, I fell to wondering
what the boys would s ay if they saw them, and
my cheeks burned with shame. It was on one
of these evenings that I ventured to express
my wish to go to sea. My aunt threw up her
hands in horror.
' Lawd love the lad ! ' she cried ; ' if he
be'ant like his father a'ready ! You'd like to
gaw to say, would ye ? to wander over the face
of the earth and die, like your father did, with-
out a roof to cawver your head? A sailor j
Lawd love 'ee, and why would you be a
sailor ? '
I stammered somethiuGf about ^vishin(]r to
88 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
work for my living, when my uncle cut my
explanation short by patting me on the head
and saying :
' You'm a good lad, I'm glad to hear 'ee
talk saw ; but there's no cause for 'ee to gaw to
say. You'm a comin' to wark wi' me, Hugh ! '
' In the mine ! ' I exclaimed in delight, for
my strong desire to go down the shaft was
growing ; but my uncle shook his head.
' Naw, naw, lad ; the mine be only for big
coarse men like me ; a slip of a lad like you
will be better whar you'm gawing — inta the
awfice.'
' The office ! ' I repeated, my ardour being
considerably damped.
' Have 'ee fixed it all, Tawm ? ' asked my
aunt.
' Iss, mother, I fixed it wi' the master this
fawrenoon. Hugli can gaw on Monday and
begin.'
FIRST GLDIPSE OF THE MIXE 89
Thus it will be seen that my destiny was
mapped out for me. On the Monday I began
my duties as uuder-clerk, with but little satis-
faction to myself beyond the fact that I contri-
buted six shilliuo;s a week towards tlie house-
hold expenditure. Thus my new life began, a
life which promised to be uneventful enough.
At first I chafed somewhat; but Time, that
healer of all things, brought solace to me. As
months rolled on, the memory of Munster's
began to grow dim ; and when I thouglit of
Madeline it was of some lovely vision seen in a
dream.
Monotonous as my days promised to be, I
soon managed to infuse a little pleasure into
them, principally with the aid of my friend and
ally, honest John Eudd ; for we soon became
close chums. He conceived a great respect for
me, partly on account of my superior educa-
tion, and ])artly because I rendered him such
90 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
valuable assistance in tlie transcription of liis
poems. He placed his boat entirely at my dis-
posal, also lent me his gun, a rusty old Joe
Manton, which I kept in secret, and with which
I used to amuse myself in tlie evenings when
my work was done.
But the one great fascination for me w^as
the mine. It was becoming a sort of ' Frank-
enstein,' haunting me by night and by day ; I
saw it before me as I sat writing in the office,
and when I was asleep at night I saw it in my
dreams, opening its huge black jaws and pre-
paring to crush away some hapless life. The
more I heard of it, the stronger grew my wish
to explore for myself those dark bowels of tlie
earth.
Ao-ain and a<>-ain I had beu'iired my uncle to
take me down, but he refused. At last, how-
ever, one Sunday morning, he came to me and
to my intense delight said :
FIRST GLIMPSE OP THE MIXE 91
' You can gaw dawn the mine t-day, Hugh.
I be gawn' dawn. I'll tak' 'ee wi' me.'
Excitement is welcome to all boys, and it was
especially welcome to me ; but there was one
cloud on my sunshine, when I looked up and
saw that my cousin Annie was as white as a
sheet and trembling violently.
' Don't father, don't ! ' she said, piteously.
My uncle laughed.
' Lor a mussey, Annie, what a frawhtened
httle woman you'm gettin' ! ' he said. ' Wha,
you arn't like a miner's lass, Annie. We must
mak' the lad a man, nawt a milksop. Naw
then Hugh, hurry up and get ready, we'm nawt
got much time to lose ! '
The first thing to be done was to attire
myself in one of my uncle's mining suits oi
flannel, and possess myself of one of his broad
felt hats. This was soon done. I was now a
man in all l)ut years, and I managed to cut a
92 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
tolerable ligure in my uncle's clothes : indeed,
when I made my reappearance in tlie kitchen,
he declared, witli a nod of approval, that I
looked every inch a miner. It was a proud
moment for me : now, for the first tune, I felt
my manhood upon me, and I laughed with
my uncle at Annie's pale cheeks and my aunt's
sad eyes.
My uncle handed me half a dozen candles,
which he told me to put into my pocket ; tlien,
with a merry nod to the women-folk, we
started.
It was no easy matter to get to the entrance
of the mine, not beinci; able to go straif^ht to the
shafts as in the case of mines on level ground.
First of all we had to make our way to the
counting-house, in wliich I sat at my daily toil.
The way was long and difficult to travel, on
account of the accumulation of mining gear we
had to pass ; long chains stretched out over
FIRST GLBirSE OF THE MIXE 93
bell cranks, wooden platforms looking like
battered remnants of wrecks, yet supporting
large beams of timber and heavy coils of rope.
Here there was a little creaking shed, there a
broken-down post or two, and there again we
had to wind round by the rocky path amidst
chains and cables and ascending loads.
I, having to travel this road every day of
my life, was well accustomed to it, and I
accordingly followed on my uncle's footsteps
without much feeling of curiosity or joy ; but
when we had passed the counting-house,
ascended the cliff, and gained the trap-door
entrance to the mine, my heart began to beat
with anticipation.
Here w^e both paused.
' You'll keep a strawng head,' said my uncle,
lookino; at me. ' 'Twill be a bad business if
you begin to tramble like our Annie. Are you
sure you arn't afraid, lad? '
94 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' Not a bit,' I returned ; then, looking at
the ladder -wliicli was set at the entrance of the
mine, I asked, ' Shall I go first ? '
' Bide a bit, bide a bit, lad ! ' he returned.
' Gi 's one o' tham candles.'
I did 80, whereupon he lit it and stuck it
into my hat, then he lit another for himself;
after this he began to descend the first ladder,
and I followed him.
The first object I was conscious of was the
huge beam of a steam-engine, which worked
on my right, alternately bowing and risinir,
and heavily straining at the deluge of water
which it lifted. On the other side, through
boards the chinks of which admitted just light
enough at the foot of one of the ladders to show
the passage, I saw the loaded tubble, or bucket,
rushing past its descending companion.
We were now between two shafts, descend-
ing from stage to- stage ; the daylight was com-
FIKST GLIMPSE OF THE MINE 95
pletely gone, and we depended solely on om"
candles, which threw but a faint light into the
gloomy abj^ss below.
After descending two or three ladders, which
were almost perpendicular, we came to a plat-
form, and made a halt.
" Waal, lad ? ' said my uncle, holding his
flickering candle above his head, and looking
into my face. ,
I lauo;lied, and hastened to assure him it
was all right, though, in reality, I began to
feel some of my cousin's misgiving. We rested
a second or two, the halt indeed being made
more for me than for my guide ; then my
uncle took another lighted candle, and stuck it
into my hat.
' Xaw, lad,' said he, ' come on wi' a will ;
lay howld o' the sides o' the ladder, and ha' a
care.
I promised to obey him, and we recommenced
9G THE MASTIJR OF THE MINE
our descent, he going first and I following. Wc
went down first one ladder and then another,
till again Ave came to a i)latform and rested.
' What's below ? ' I asked of my imcle, who
was again regarding me curiously, trying to
detect if possible any sign of fear or shrinking
in my face.
'What's belaw, lad?' he said. 'Wha, the
water drained from all the mine, the pumps at
wark pumping it awt, and p'raps a cartload o'
rattinc^ human bawns.'
We descended a couple more ladders and
landed again, this time to traverse one of those
side galleries in wdiich the pit abounded. It
was about seven feet hifrh, but so narrow that
two persons, if thin, could just squeeze past one
another. The only light now was that afibrded
by our candles, Avhich flickered in the hot,
sickly, damp vapour which floated about us.
The fetid air of the place was beginning to
FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE MINE 97
tell upon me, my breath became laboured, the
perspiration streamed down my face, while
mud aud tallow and iron drippings were visible
on my clothes. My uncle, who was similarly
bespattered to myself, but who was breathing
more freely, recommended a rest. I sat down
on the floor while he set himself to replenish
the candles, which had nearly flickered out.
Sitting thus in the stillness, I became con-
scious of a strang-e moanino; and souohino- sound.
After listening intently, I asked my uncle what
it was.
' It's the sae,' he returned ; 'it be rolling
up thar above our heads.'
VOL. I. H
98 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
CHAPTER VII.
A VISIT OF mSPECTIOX.
Thus began my knowledge of the mine ; from
that day forth my interest in it deepened, and
it haunted me like a passion. Its darkness
and perils had a fascination for me, and I was
not content till I had explored every cranny
and familiarised myself with the mining art
or science. Eager for information, I read
every book on the subject that I could buy or
borrow^ and in a short time I could have
passed a pretty stiff examination as an
engineer.
I nuist now pass over, at one swift bound,
A VISIT OF INSrECTIOX 99
a lapse of eight years. During that time, I
had exchanged the duties of clerk for that of
assistant overseer, and then, on the death of
Mr. Eedruth, for those of overseer-in- chief.
Behold me, then, at twenty-two years of
age, the mainstay of the Pendragon household ;
chano'ed somewhat, for —
Nature cloth subdue itself
To what it works on, like the dyer's hand ;
roudi, robust, full of strength, and its rude
pride. In my twenty-second year occurred an
event which was destined to exercise no little
influence over my whole future life. As I
approach the chronicling of this event, my
heart beats and my hand trembles, and the
fitful passion of those far-off days awakens
troublously again.
I was standing one day on the cliffs, close
to the mouth of the mine, when I saw two
figures coming from the direction of the village.
n 2
100 THE MASTER OF Tin; MIXE
One was my cousin Annie, now a comely-
young woman ; tlie other was young George
Ecdruth, whom I liad scarcely set eyes upon
since the time of his father's tleatli.
They Avere talking earnestly, and did not
seem at first to notice me ; but presently I saw
Annie give a startled look in my direction, and
afterwards they approaclied together. Now, I
don't know how it happened — it was instinct, I
suppose, or something of that sort — but never,
from the moment of our first meeting as boys,
had I been able to reo;ard George Eedruth
with any feeling but one of excessive irritation
and dishke. His flippant, patronising manner
had something to do with it ; so, perhaps, had
his good looks, for his worst enemy could not
have denied that he was superbly handsome.
As I glanced at Ijis pale, beautifully formed
face, at his shght graceful figure, at his elegant
dress, I was painfully conscious of my own
A VISIT OF IXSPECTION 101
physical inferiority. Tlioiigli I was strongly
built and not ill-favoured, wind and weather
had worked their will on me, and I was rough,
I knew, as my daily occupation.
He strolled up carelessly, swinging his
cane, and smoking a cigar.
' Ah, TrelaAvney,' he said, with a nod,
' your cousin Annie has been telling me that
there are complaints, again, about the outlying
shafts of the mine. So I'm going down to
have a look round.'
' Very well, sir,' I replied, wondering in
my mind why Annie had chosen to make
herself the mouthpiece of the men.
' I suppose it's safe enough ? ' he said,
after a moment. 'You know, though I am
a mine-owner, I don't know much about
the business ; I used to leave all that to the
governor.'
' It is only right,' was my reply, ' that you
102 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
should judge its safety for yourself. If any-
thing Iiappened, you would be res])Onsible.'
' I don't know about tliat,' he said sharply :
' I pay you for superintending the work, and
if there's danger '
' There is ! ' I interposed.
' Well, then, I pay yoiL for facing it and
reporting upon it. One can't be both employer
and servant too ! '
I was about to retort somewhat angrily,
for the manner of his speech was even more
insufferable than its matter, when I met Annie's
entreating eyes, and refrained.
' Mr. George,' she said quickly, ' is anxious
that nothing should go wrong.'
' Of course I am,' cried the young man,
with a curious lavish. 'I know what iloodino;
the mine means — any amount of expense,
perhaps ruin ; for if the sea once got fairly in
— whew ! it would be a bad job for me.'
A VISIT OF INSPECTIOX 103
' And for the men,' I said, frowning.
' And for the men, of course ; but it's their
living, and no doubt they know how to look
after themselves. Be c^ood enouQ-h to make
all ready, Trelawney, for I'm going down at
once. I suppose there is a dress hand}' ? '
I answered in the affirmative, and walked
off tow^ards the office. Looking back over my
shoulder, I saw him glance after me, and then,
with a contemptuous laugh, say something to
Annie. My blood boiled angrily, and my
cheeks ^orew crimson. I could have turned
back and struck him in the face.
Close to the office, I found my uncle, who
had just come up from underground, and who
was covered with the rust of tlie copperas
earth. I told him the young master was
going down, and he was delighted.
'He's a brave lad, Master Jarge,' he
cried, ' a fine brave lad ! I'll gaw wi' 'un,
104 THE iA[ ASTER OF THE MINE
and shaw 'iin where tlie wall be brcakinir
down.'
Presently, Eedrutli came along, and followed
me into tlie office, where several woollen cos-
tumes were hanging. He laughed gaily, as he
transformed himself into a miner. When the
transformation w^as complete, he still looked
the gentleman ; and, in spite of myself, I felt
the irritating sense of my own inferiority.
My uncle led the way down the trap, show-
ing infinite care and tenderness for the young
master, who followed him, while I came last.
The earth soon swallowed us, and the only light
we had was the light of the candles stuck upon
our persons and in our hats.
From ladder to ladder w^e went, till w^e
reached the central platform, where we
paused to take breath. Then down we crept
again, till we reached the lowest galleries,
and became conscious of the gnome-like
A VISIT OF INSrECTIOX 105
fio-iires at work in the submariue darkness.
My uncle still led the way, stopping from time
to time to pilot Eedruth over awkward stones
and dangerous trap-holes. Our progress was
now very slow. Walking, stooping, crawling,
climbing, descending, we proceeded ; now
crossing black abysses, thinly covered with
quaking planks ; past wild figures kneehng
or lying, and labouring with short pickaxes at
the ore ; and as we went, the roar which had
been in our ears from the beginning deepened,
while the solid rocks above us seemed quaking
in the act to fall.
At last my uncle paused and wiped his
brow. We were all three now completely dis-
figured, — with earth, mud, tallow, rust, and
iron drippings.
' Where the deuce are we now ? ' asked the
}Oung master.
' Whar, Master Jarge ? ' repeated my uncle,
106 THE PIASTER OF THE MINE
Avitli a friendly grin. ' Eight dawn under tlie
sac'
Eedrutli glanced at me.
' How far down, Trelawney ? '
' Twenty fathoms under the sea level, sir,
and three hundred feet, or more, out beyond
low-water mark.'
' Well, where's the damage ? It all seems
snug enouo;h.'
He was certainly very cool, though lie had
not been undero-round more than once or twdce
in his life ; and I wondered to niyself wiietlier
his insouciance came from bravado or sheer
stupidity.
' Come this way. Master Jarge,' said my
uncle, crawling forward, until we reached a
narrow^ space with just room for two of us to
stand abreast. Suddenly, we found ourselves
ankle deep in water, and at the same time thick
A VISIT OF INSPECTION 107
drops ]ike heavy rain fell from the rocks above
us.
My uncle reached up with his hands,
and touched tlie roof, which was partially
fortified with wood and cement.
' I plugg'd this yar last night. Master Jarge,'
he explained : ' the salt water were streaming
in like a fall.'
As he spoke, the roar deepened to a crash,
and we could distinctly hear the sea grinding
on the pebbles, right above our heads. It
seemed momently as if the whole fabric of the
rock would break in, under the flux and reflux of
the rolling waves.
I saw Eedruth start back, and glance to-
wards the gallery dov/n which we had come.
But he recovered his sang-froid in a moment.
' The deuce ! ' he muttered. ' How thick is
the ceiling here, Trelawney ? '
' Six feet at the thickest, sir ; at the thinnest.
108 TIIH .MASTER OF THE :^rI^E
where you see the wooden phig, not more thrai
three.'
Young Kcdruth looked up again, and tak-
ing a candle from his person, examined the
rock. It was actually })ercolated with sea-
water oozing through the solid granitic mass,
and covered with green and glistening ooze ;
but through all the dampness and sliminess the
stripes of pure copper ran in rich bars, forming
part of the fmest and most precious lode in the
whole mine.
' Why, it's almost solid ore,' he said.
'Iss, Master Jarge,' returned my uncle,
' but us can't go no further thisways without
flooding the shaft. It would be warth thou-
sands o' pounds to gaw on, and 'twill cost a
heap to keep tight and safe as it be.'
' Is that so, Trelawney ? '
'Yes, sir. We must build up this part of
the gallery and have it closed. I can't keep
A VISIT OF IXSPECTIOX 109
the men from using their picks wliere the ore
runs thickest, even when every inch of stuff they
loosen is bringing them nearer to their death.'
The young master made no further remark
just then, but continued liis examination of the
other parts of the mine. In several other places
the roof was dangerous. My uncle pointed
out the various unsafe portions, and led the
way from gallery to gallery, until tlie tour of
inspection was complete.
At last we re-ascended to the sunshine.
How bright and dazzling all seemed after
til at subaqueous darkness ! Eedruth seemed
in a brown study. Not until he had
washed himself and reassumed his ordinary
attire, did he find his tongue. By this
time, my uncle had returned to his labours
down below, and we two were left
alone.
' Is there anything else you wish to report P^'
110 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
asked Redruth, sharply, as we stood together
at the office door.
' Notlung more than I have ah^eady
reported in writing.'
' Well, what was that ? '
' The whole mine wants repair. Putting-
aside the ontl)4ng galleries, where the sea
may enter at any minute, the engines and
machinery need replacing, the ladders are
rotten ; in fact, everything is in the last
stage of decay ; and no wonder, seeing that
scarcely a penny has been spent on it within
my memory.'
He frowned, and bit his lips ; then he
looked me contemptuously from head to foot.
'You are a pretty fellow, a very pretty
fellow. You want to ruin me, eh ? '
' No, sir ; but I want to ensure the safety
of the men.'
' Pshaw ! You are a croaker, and know
A VISIT OP INSPECTION 111
little or nothing of the matter,' he said, turning
on his heel.
' At any rate, sir,' I returned, following him,
' you will have the outer galleries filled up, at
once? If you don't, I'll not answer for the
consequences.'
' Who the devil asked you ? ' he cried.
' Your place is to report, not to advise. As to
ceasing to work the outer galleries, I suppose
you know that the richest lode of ore runs
there, and that the inner portion of the mine
is almost barren ? '
' I know that ; but '
' But you prefer mutiny and disaffection to
study of your employer's interests ? I tell you
flatly, I don't intend to listen to such nonsense.
Thanks to you, the mine at present yields
little or no profit, and I am in a fair way to
become a beggar.'
112 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
He saw me smile incredulously, as I cried :
' Tlion YOU will do notliiuo"? '
' I will do nothing under your advice, for I
don't trust you. A gentleman in whom I have
tlie utmost confidence will be here to-morrow
morning. You will accompany him down the
mine, and you will show him Avhat you have
shown me. I sliall tlien be guided by his
advice, not by yours.'
Witli these words he w\alked away.
Soon after sunrise the next morning, as I
sat in tlie office at the mine-head, I was visited
l)y the })erson to whom young Eedruth had
alluded. He was a thin, spare, sandy-haired
young man of about thirty, with a mean type
of countenance, and an accent which was a
curious compound of Cockneyisms and Ameri-
canisms. He had, indeed, been born within
the sound of Boav Bells ; but liaving spent a
portion of his manhood in the United States,
A VISIT OP INSPECTIOX 113
he affected the free and easy manners of a
Yankee citizen.
He gave me his card, on which was printed
the words —
EPHRAIM S. JOHNSON,
Civil Engineer,
Bethesda,
Slate of New Yorh.
I glanced at the name, and then took a
good look at the owner. He wore a showy
tweed suit, a glaring red necktie witli a horse-
shoe pin, and a light billycock hat. Altogether,
his appearance was not prepossessing.
He informed me, in a high shrill voice, that
he had been instructed by Mr. George Eedruth
to go down the mine, and report on its prospects
and condition.
' You'll find its condition bad enough,' I said
quickly.
' Maybe I shall, and maybe I shan't,' he
VOL. I. I
114 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
answered. ' I don't want you to prejudice my
mind, young man ; not that j^ou could do it if
you tried. Guess I haven't been three years on
the Shoshone territory for nothing.'
He pronounced it ' nothinlc,' but that is
neither here nor there. I saw at once from his
manner that he had come with a preconceived
opinion, and tliat nothing he miglit see would
be liivcly to make him side Avith the men
against their master. However, I treated him
as civilly as possible, and, when he had assumed
the necessary dress, we made the tour of inspec-
tion together. When we came to the outlying
gallery, above which the sea was thundering,
he trembled a 2;ood deal and o;ave other sims
of agitation, and he did not recover himself
until he had regained the open air, which he
did after a very perfunctory visit indeed. Once
or twice on the way, as we ascended the ladders
oonnnunicating with the abyss, he grew giddy,
A VISIT OF IXSPECTIOX 115
and I had to watch, him carefully, fearing he
might fall. All this, it may be guessed, did
not increase my respect for Mr. Ephraim S.
Johnson.
He did not altogether recover his equanimity
until he had sloughed his miner's dress and put
on Ills own radiant apparel. Then, curious to
know what he would say to his employer, I
questioned him ;
' Well, Mr. Johnson ? Did I exaggerate
when I said that the mine was unsafe ? '
He answered me sharply and impudently,
but averting his small keen eyes from mine :
' Excuse me, young man, I shall report my
opinion to Mr. George Redruth, not to you.. I
don't mind saying, however, that I guess you
did exaggerate, on the whole.'
Angry at his manner, I could not forbear
retorting
I 2
116 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' You didn't seem to express that opinion
wlicn you were down below ! '
* What do 3'oa mean ? ' he cried, turning
crimson.
' I mean that you seemed rather in a hurry
to get back to the terra Jirma, up here ! '
He did not reply, but gave me a look full
of malignity and dislike. Then he walked
out of the office, but the next minute he put
his head in again in the door.
' You think yourself smart,' he said ; ' but
you'll have to get up early before you're as
smart as me. I mean to do my duty, young
man, and so you'll find afore very long.'
He left me with this curious valediction. I
saw neither Kedruth nor Johnson for some days.
Then I heard casually that the latter had gone
back to London. About a week after his
departure, I saw it publicly announced that
arrangements had been made with George
A VISIT OF INSrECTIOX. 117
Eedrutb, Esq., the proprietor, to turn the
St. Gurlott's copper-mine into a joint-stock
company, the said George Eedruth, Esq., re-
ceiving half the purchase -money and retaining
the other half in fully paid-up shares. Nothing
was said about the precise amount of commission
money which went into the pocket of Mr. E. S.
Johnson, but the name of that worthy was
down on the prospectus as surveyor and in-
specting engineer, and I had no doubt whatever
in my own mind tliat he had made a very
excellent bargain.
118 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
CHAPTEE VIII.
I PLAY THE SPY.
A LITTLE after the establishment of the London
company, Johnson came down to St. Gurlott's
and took lodgings in a farmhouse in the neigh-
bourhood. After what had occurred, I ex-
pected to receive my conge at once, but although
the stranger was formally installed as resident
inspector and supervisor, no attempt was made
as yet to remove me from my former position.
The fact was, I believe, that Johnson had too
little confidence in his own practical knowledge,
to say nothing of his own courage, to undertake
willingly the perilous duties of overseer.
I PLAY THE SPY 119
So greatly did I resent his presence, how-
ever, that I at first resolved to resign ; but
yielding to the entreaties of my uncle and the
prayers of Annie, I remained. I soon saw
that Johnson was completely in young Eed-
ruth's confidence — was, in fact, his servant,
spy, and general familiar. Under his advice,
nothin"- wdiatever was done to amend the
condition of afiairs in the mine, the fittings and
machinery of which remained as dilapidated as
ever. On my own responsibilit}-, however, I
closed up the dangerous outer galleries, and
forbade the men, on pain of dismissal, from
workino- the ore in that direction. Althouoli
Johnson heard of this, and doubtless reported
it to liis superior, neither of them made any
communication to me on the subject — just
then.
I must now turn from the affairs of the
mine to my own quiet life at home in my
120 TIIK :\fASTRR OF THE [MINE
uncle's lioiise — wliicli ^vill lead me, rapidly
enou<4li. ]);ick to yoiino; Georn;e liedrutli.
I had noticed for several weeks that sonic
important secret communion was going on
between my uncle and aunt. What it was all
about I couldn't guess, but it was evidently
connected in some way with myself. I often
caught them looking at me, and, when de-
tected, exchanging glances of infinite meaning.
I was begirming to think of asking for an
explanation, when accident made me ac-
quainted with the whole mystery.
I had returned home one evening too late
for the ordinaiy tea, and was sitting taking
mine alone, waited on by Annie, as I had to
return to the office ai>'ain that ni";ht, and mijTht
probably have to go down the mine. I still
w^ore my miner's dress, but my uncle had
changed his, and was sitting contentedly
smoking on one side of the fire, while just
I PLAY THE SPY 121
opposite to him was my aunt, busily darning
stockiniTS.
The meal over, I got up, lit my pipe, and
wished them all good night.
' Don't sit up for me ! ' I said, ' I shall be
late to-night.'
' Where are you 2'oiuo- to, Huoh ? ' asked
Annie, carelessly.
' Back to the office. I've got to go down
the mine a^'ain, too.'
' Shall you go to the office first ? ' she
asked, ' or down the mine? '
I laughed at what I then thought her
unmeaning curiosity.
' Which do you think I ought to do first,
Miss Curiosity ? ' I said.
' Go down the mine,' she answered,
promptly ; ' then you could change those
things, and do your accounts comfortable-,
hke.'
122 THE MASTER OF THE JUNE
' Upon my \vord, Annie,' I said, ' there's a
world of wisdom in tliat pretty little head of
yours.'
I put my arm round her shoulders — gave
her a kiss — at which my aunt and imcle laughed
dehghtedly.
' Good night all ! ' I said again. ' Annie, I
shall take your advice, and go straight down
the mine ! ' And I was off.
I had gone only a little way, when I sud-
denly remembered that certain account-books
which I should need that night were in my
room at the cottage. I hesitated a moment —
then I turned back to get them. It was grow-
ing rather dark ; but that was of little conse-
quence to me, since I could have walked every
step of the way blindfolded, and for the descent
into the mine, daylight was of little use.
So I strolled slowly back, enjoying my
pipe and the freshness of the evening air, and
I FLAT THE SPY 123
when I readied the cottage it was quite dark.
I paused before the kitchen window, which
was open, for the night was suUry, and looked
in.
My aunt and uncle still sat in much the
same position they had occupied when I left
them, but Annie was gone. I was about to
put my head in at the window, and acquaint
them with my return, when I heard the men-
tion of my own name.
' Yes,' said my aunt, nodding her head, ' I
ha' watched 'em, and I know Annie favours
Hugh, if ever any lass favoured a lad.'
' Well, I do hope you'm right, Martha, old
gal,' my uncle returned. ' He be a good lad,
and I shall be glad to call him my son.'
I heard no more — I felt like a man who
had received a knock-down blow, and I stas-
gered under it a bit. Annie love me ? — the
old people planning our marriage ? It was all
124 TIIH MASTER OF THE MIKE
SO new it t<iok mc a time to recover. But was
it true ? Were tliey right ? Did ray cousin
really care for me ? I glanced back on all the
years we had been together, and I concluded
that after all it might be possible. Certainly,
Annie had given no very marked evidence of
her love ; but then she was not a demonstrative
girl. A quiet lowering of the eyelids, a little
pink blush, were more in her line.
And then of late she had sorely changed.
I had noticed that, and wondered a bit ; now
the meaning of it seemed clear. Annie, my
little cousin Annie, whom I had ever regarded
as a sister and a child, had developed into a
woman, and was capable of feeling a woman's
love.
My thoughts turned from Annie to myself:
I began to analyse my own feelings, and to
pronounce upon them. Did I love Annie ?
Yes, in one sense ; no, in another. Yet my
I TLAY THE SPY 125
affection for lier was of that strong, deep nature
that I might have mistaken it for love, if that
one all-absorbing episode of my school days
had never been. Even then, after a lapse of
years, the thought of Madeline made my blood
tingle in my veins, and my heart beat painfully.
Of all this the old people knew nothing ; they
had evidently made up their minds that Annie
and I were exactly suited to one another,
and ought to be man and wife. Whether or
not I was glad or sorry at this discovery I
could not tell, my feelings were a strange
mixture which I could not analyse.
Before I had time to think very deeply on
the subject, the kitchen door opened, and Annie
herself appeared on the threshold. Though it
was dark out of doors, the hght in the kitchen
showed her to me distinctly. She wore a long
black cloak, which she folded tightly aroimd
her shoulders ; its hood covered her head.
126 TIIC .AI ASTER OF THE MINE
' I am o-uinr^ down to the villao-c, I shan't
be long,' I heard her say, in answer to her
mother's question. Then she came out, closing
the kitchen door after her.
She paused a moment outside ; then she
hurried away — I, rather aimlessly, following
her. She crossed the high road which led to
the village, and took instead a narrow footpath
which led by a short cut to the mine. Won-
dering what could be taking her that way, I
continued to follow her.
She quickened her pace now, almost to a
run. When she had got about half-way to
the mine, she turned off again, and hastened
along with increased speed towards Greystock
Tower.
Greystock Tower was a ruin, consisting
of three dilapidated ivy-covered walls and a
buttress ; it stood on an eminence a few
hundred yards from the seashore, and by the
I PLAY THE SPY 127
superstitious inhabitants of tlie village was
supposed to be haunted. Even Annie, I had
suspected till that night, shared in the popular
belief. I was the more astonished, therefore,
to see her going towards it, alone, on a dark
night, and as if her very life depended upon
her speed.
Having reached the ruin, she paused, and
stood as if listening. There was a dead silence
all round, broken only by the Avashing of the
sea. I crept up in the shadow of the ruin.
Presently, I heard a peculiar whistle.
Annie said softly :
' Yes — I am here.' Then a figure, that of
a man, emerged from the darkness and joined
her.
My astonishment at all this was so great
that for a time I was utterly unable to move ;
but, from my shadowy hiding-place I Avatched
the pair. Who the man was I could not tell,
128 THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
the darkness completely concealing his features ;
but I saw that he was taller than Annie, and
that he was smoking a cigar.
They stood close together, talking earnestly ;
but I could not catch a word of what they said.
Presently, they began to move away, and I
deemed it time to interfere.
In two strides I was between them —
Annie uttered a scream, the man an oath.
But he stood his ground, and looked into my
face.
It was now my turn to utter an exclama-
tion. The man was young Eedruth, the
master of the mine.
The contretemps was so complete that for
a moment neither of us spoke. Eedruth, being
the coolest, was the first to speak.
' What are you doing here, Trelawney ? '
he asked curtly.
I PLAY THE SPY 129
* I am here to take my cousin home, sir,' I
rephed.
' Indeed,' he sneered ; ' I should have
thought you were here to play the spy ! '
' Even that would be better than playing
the villain,' I returned.
Here Annie, seeing a storm brewing,
interfered.
' Hugh, dear Hugh ! ' she said, plucking at
my sleeve.
But young Eedruth now stepped forward.
'Don't agitate yourself, Annie,' said he,
coolly, while I was ready to knock him down.
'And you, sir,' he added, addressing me,
' stand out of the way ; I have business with
this young lady, and I request you to leave
us.'
' And if I refuse ? '
He raised a small cane which he carried
and struck me across the shoulders. In a
VOL. I. K
130 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
moment I had wrenched it from his liand, and
with one well-planted blow I would have made
him measure his length upon the ground, but,
with another scream, Annie rushed forward and
stood between us.
' You shall pay for this, you scoundrel ! '
said my master ; and, without another word,
he disappeared into the darkness.
Annie, still frightened and trembling,
rushed forward to follow him, but m a moment
I was beside her.
' You'll come with me, Annie,' I said, taking
her hand firmly in mine.
By this time she was crying bitterly. ' Oh,
Hugh,' she sobbed, ' what have you done !
You will ruin us all — yourself, father, and all
of us!'
But I took no heed of her, I kept my hold
upon her, and led her back across the meadows
to the cottaoe.
I PLAY THE SPY 131
During the walk no word passed between
us. I was silent, expecting she would give
some exjDlanation of the scene I had witnessed ;
but as she volunteered none, I said nothing.
When we reached the cottage gate, she paused,
and spoke.
' Hugh,' she said, ' you won't tell mother or
father '
' No, no,' I interrupted her. ' Don't fear
for me, but I mean to look after you in the
future, Annie.'
' Don't be hard on me, Hugh,' she said,
piteously. ' I meant no harm. But it will be
better for you and father if I speak to the young
master sometimes.'
' You'd best let us manage our own affairs,
Annie, and keep yourself to the house ; always
remember that.'
She dried her eyes and composed herself a
bit, and we went in too^ether.
K 3
132 THE MASTER OF THE MLNE
The old couple were astonished, but not ill-
pleased at seeing us in company. They noticed
Annie's pallor, too, and exchanged looks, the
meaning of which I now knew full well. I
dreaded to be questioned ; so when Annie
had gone to her room, which she did pretty
quickly, I explained that I had returned for
certain little account-books, and having met
Annie by the way, had brought her in. Then
I possessed myself of the books, and hurried
back to the office to finish my night's work.
J
133
CHAPTER IX.
Annie's confession.
They were all in bed when I got back that
night ; but as I passed the door of Annie's
room I fancied I heard the sound of sobbing.
I knocked softly, but she made no answer ; so
I concluded that I must have been mistaken
and that she w^as asleep.
The next morning she attended at breakfast
as usual. She looked a little pale, and now and
again glanced uneasily and rather questioniugly
at me. When I rose to go, she put on her
bonnet, saying :
' I am going a bit of the way with Hugh,
134 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
motlicr ; ' and then, somewhat to my surprise,
she came along with me into the road. When
we w^ere fau-ly away from the houses, and
passing across the moor, slie put her hand on
my arm, and said softl}'' :
' Hugh, dear Hugh, I have been out before
this morning. I have seen the young master.'
I suppose my face darkened ominously, for
she hurriedly continued :
'Hugh, you must not get angry — indeed,
you must not. I did it for the best. I was
afraid, after what happened last night, that he
would dismiss you ; and he would have done,
but I have interceded, and now all will be as
it was before.'
' You have interceded for me ! ' I said.
' Then you w^ere wrong, Annie ; if he wishes to
dismiss me, let him. I have other means of
earning my bread.'
For answer to this Annie employed a
Annie's confession 135
stronger medium than words — she cried. Now,
tears always disarm me ; all I could do was
what I did : soothe my cousin, kiss her pretty
cheek, call myself a brute, and avow that she
was the dearest, sweetest little woman in the
world. Under this process, Annie came round,
and smiled sadly up at me through her tears.
' You promise,' she said, ' to go on just the
same as usual, and to take no notice of what
occiu-red last night ? '
' I will promise,' I said, ' if you can show
me the good of it.'
' The good of it will depend upon whether
or not you care anything about me ! ' she re-
plied. ' Just think, Hugh, if you two quarrel
again, and you are dismissed, everybody will
know why it all came about — and my mother
and father too. Ah, Hugh, dear Hugh, for my
sake ! '
She folded her little hands over my arm,
136 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
and looked up into my face like a supplicating
cliild.
As I looked down into her bright eyes, now
fast fillin<]r again with tears, the thoug-ht came
into my mind to do what her mother and father
wished me to do. ' Annie,' I thought of saying,
' give me a right to protect you. Let me call
you wife, and I will agree to all you say.' But
something held me, and the golden moment
passed,
' All right, Annie,' I said ; ' don't worry
yourself, little woman. I won't do a thing
that will injure you!
For a couple of days or so the master kept
away, and things went on at the works pretty
much the same as usual ; but on the foiurth
day he strolled down. He talked a good deal
to Johnson, but never addressed one word to
me. He looked at me, however, and the look
he gave made me wonder what strange influence
Annie's coxfessiox 137
Annie possessed when she could induce him to
keep in his employment one whom he so cor-
dially hated. I, however, took no notice, since
I had given my promise to Annie, and an
onlooker would never have guessed that any-
thing sinister was going on.
How long this state of things might have
lasted it is impossible to say, but it was most
unexpectedly and suddenly changed.
One day my aunt, having a little shopping
to do, and eager perhaps for a day's outing,
determined to go to Falmouth. She started off
in the morning in John Eudd's waggon, and
left my cousin to keep house.
Now, it had seemed to me that Annie had
looked particularly dull that morning ; so,
towards afternoon, I determined to take an
hour, and to hurry back to the cottage to see
how she was getting on.
As I drew near to the cottage door, I was
138 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
astonished to liear voices — the one loud and
angry, the other soft and })leading. When I
entered tlie kitchen, my amazement increased
tenfold.
An elderly lady — none other, indeed, than
old Mrs. Eedruth, George Eedruth's widowed
mother — was standing in the middle of the
room, while my cousin Annie, crying bitterly,
was actually on her knees before her !
Mrs. Eedruth had two characteristics, her
confirmed ill-health and her iron will. Her
power in the village was great ; but she was
feared, rather than beloved. Indeed, it was
averred by many that every hard deed com-
mitted by either her husband or her son might
have been traced to her influence. For the
rest, she was a tall thin woman, with powerful
aquihne features and a face of ghastly pallor.
Amazed at her presence there, I entered
unceremoniously; but both were so intent
Annie's confession 139
upon themselves that they were actually un-
aware of my approach.
The old woman was speaking.
'Your tears don't deceive me,' she said.
'I am not a man and a fool. I am a mother,
and I know when danger threatens my child,
and I say that you are doing your best to
entangle my son. But take care. George
Eedruth shall not be sacrificed ; sooner than
that, I will ruin you — do you hear ? — ruin
you ! '
* Oh, my lady ! ' sobbed Annie, ' will you
listen ! '
' No,' she returned, ' I will not ! Listen to
you — when every word you utter must be a lie !
I have seen you with my son. Cease to follow
him, or I will expose you before every soul in
the village ! '
She turned to leave the cottage, and came
face-to-face with me. She paused abruptly,
140 Tllli; MASTER OF THE MINE
opened her lips, as if about to speak ; then she
changed lier mind, and without uttermg a word
passed out.
As for myself, I had been too much stupefied
to say a word, and I stood now, like a great
bear, looking at my cousin, who, sobbing
piteously, had sunk into a chair. Then
suddenly, while gazing at her thus, it seemed
to me that the time had come for me to speak.
I went up to her, raised her from the chair, and
folded her in my arms.
' Annie,' I said, ' Annie, my dear, let there
be an end to this. Give me the right to
protect you from all this trouble that has come
upon you lately. Become my wife.'
She started, and stared at me like a
frightened child.
' Your wife, Hugh ! ' she said. ' Your
wife !
' Yes, Annie,' I answered. ' My wdfe —
ANNIE'S CONFESSION 141
that is, if 3'ou care for me eiiougli, my
dear ! '
At this she fell to crying afresh, and clung
to me tenderly.
' Ah, Hugh, dear Hugh ! ' she sobbed.
' You are the kindest and best man in all the
world, and it is your kindness which makes
you ask me this now, for you don't love me,
Hugh.'
Her words cut me to the heart, for I felt
their truth.
' Perhaps,' I said. ' I don't romance as
some young fellows might, but I shall make as
good a husband. I have always been fond of
you, Annie, ever since that night, years ago,
when I first came here and you gave me a
welcome. We have ever been excellent
friends, haven't we ? — and now tell me if we
shall be more than friends ? '
She shook her head.
142 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' No, Hugh ; be wliat you have always
been — my own dear brotlier,'
' Is it because you think I don't care for
you, Annie ? '
* Ah, no ! ' she rephed. ' Don't think it
is that. So much the better for you, dear,
that you don't love me : for even if it were
otherwise, we two could never be man and
wife.'
I looked into her eyes, and I thought I
read their meaning. Annie did not care for
me ; her heart was with another man, and that
man far above her.
I think I see those who read these lines
smiling at my ignorance or my folly, and
asking, was it possible that all I had seen or
heard awakened in my mind no suspicion of
any darker wTong lurking in my little cousin's
path ? Yes ; it was quite possible. Grown
man as I was, I had no experience whatever of
Annie's confession 143
the world. I would have trusted Annie in any
company, or in any place, and I never dreamed
for a moment that there could be any danger
to one so good.
As my thought travels back to that time, I
reproach myself again and again for my own
blindness. What worlds of sorrow it would
have saved if I had been less unsuspicious — if
I had only loved poor Annie more !
144 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
CHAPTER X.
THE LETTER.
But after this I watched Annie a good deal,
and I soon discovered she had a great and
OTowing trouble on her mind. She was rest-
less and ill at ease, and once or twice, while I
observed her quietly, I saw tears suddenly start
to her eyes.
Her mother and father noticed this, too ;
but they attributed the change to quite another
cause. They were good, honest folk, who
could only consider one project at a time ; and
as for several months past their minds had been
occupied solely with the idea of a marriage
THE LETTER 145
between Annie and myself, they naturally
assumed disagreements between us two to be
the cause of their daughter's depression.
I had not the heart to undeceive them. I
determined, however, to speak to Annie again,
and ask for some further explanation of this
mystery.
One afternoon, about three days after our
former interview, I was standing at the mouth
of the mine, thinking things, when I was
startled by the sudden appearance of my aunt.
She looked pale ; rather alarmed ; but ready to
become very angry.
' Hugh ! ' she said, before I had time to
open my lips, ' where be Awnie ? '
Had I been able at that moment to produce
my cousin, she would certainly have been rated
very soundly ; whereas, I shook my head and
said, ' I don't know ! ' the rising anger entirely
disappeared, and her face grew paler.
VOL. I. L
146 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
'But yoii'm seen her to-day?' she con-
tinned.
' Xo. When I left this morning you were
all a-bed.'
At this my aunt fairly broke down, and
moaned between her sobs, ' Oh, Hugh ! she's
gone, gone ! '
I was fairly stunned, and all I could do just
then was to comfort my aunt, who was weeping
bitterly, AVhen she was more composed, I
asked for an explanation of what had taken
place, and she gave it. The facts were simple
enougli. After ray micle and I had left for the
mine, my aunt rose, expecting to find the
kitchen fire alight as usual, and Annie busy
making things neat for the day. To her
astonishment, the kitchen was empty, the ashes
in the grate were grey, and all was in disorder
as it had been on the night before. She called
Annie, but got no answer ; she searched the
THE LETTER 147
cottage, but failed to find her ; then, conchiding
that she had gone to the village on some errand,
she set iibout doing the work herself. Several
hours passed away ; and, as tliere was still no
sign of the missing girl, my aunt began to grow
extremely alarmed. She had searched through
and around the house with no effect. She now
went down to the village and made several
inquiries, but with no result. Annie had not
been seen by anyone that day.
Seriously alarmed by this time, she returned
to the house, and looked again in Annie's room.
Suddenly, her attention was attracted to the
bed ; she looked at it, and found that, although
it was in disorder, it had not been slept in that
night.
Having told her tale, my aunt looked at
me, hoping that I might be able to say her
fears for her child were unfounded. I could
not ; the utmost I could do was to counsel
L 2
148 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
silence, and to try to bnoy her up with hope.
This I did.
' It may be all right, aunt,' I said ; ' there-
fore it will be much better to keep our fears to
ourselves. Don't say anything to my uncle ;
there will be time enough to do that when our
last hope is gone.'
After some little difficulty, she consented to
follow my advice, and I persuaded her to return
home. But the day was finished for me.
After my aunt was gone, I could do nothing
but think of Annie ; the worst fears struggled
to take possession of me, but I diligently thrust
them away. I would not believe ill of my
cousin.
About five o'clock, my uncle came up from
the mine, and I proposed that we should knock
off work for the day, and stroll home together.
My uncle was in singularly go od spirits, and
during our walk home he frequently checked
THE LETTER 149
liis mirth, avowing 'twas unnatural, and that
something ill would come of it. As we drew
near to the cottage, my heart beat painfully, and
when we w^ent in I looked anxiously about me.
My aunt was moving about preparing tea,
and she was alone.
' Whar be the little woman ? ' asked my
iincle, as we sat down to our meal.
I saw my aunt's face grow very pale, but
she turned her head away and answered as
carelessly as possible :
* She be gawn out ! '
' Beant she coming in to tae ? '
' Naw ! '
The answer was conclusive, and the meal
w^ent on ; my uncle eating heartily, while I was
scarcely able to sip my cup of tea. When the
meal was over, my uncle, according to his
usual custom, went to his seat beside the fire,
and lit his pipe.
150 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
He had been smoking for an hour or more,
when a scene occuiTcd Avhich I cannot recall
without pain even now. All signs of the meal
had been cleared away, and my aunt, with
trembling hand, was about to lift down her
work-basket from its shelf, when a knock came
to the kitchen door ; then the door was opened,
and in came John Eudd.
He had a parcel for my aunt, which he
delivered ; he chatted for a few minutes, then
he prepared to go.
His hand was on the latch of the door,
when he paused and looked back :
' Say, missus,' said he, ' whar be Miss
Awnie gawn to ? '
My uncle looked up curiously ; my aunt's
cheeks grew as white as new-fallen snow.
' Whar be she gawn to ? ' she repeated,
helplessly.
' Iss ! ' continued Eudd, ' I seen her this
THE LETTER 151
marning i' Falmouth, but she were in a mighty
hurry and didn't see me. She were dawn on
the jatty, and she went aboard the steamer for
Partsmouth.'
Mr. Eudd paused, thunderstruck at the
effect of his words.
My aunt, thoroughly exhausted by the
strain that had been put upon her that day,
sank, sobbing and moaning, into a chair ; my
uncle, who had risen from his seat, stood
glaring from one to another.
Presently he spoke.
' What be all this about my Awnie ? ' he
cried. ' Speak, some 'un.'
My aunt continued to sob, John Paidd
stared in a mystified manner at one and all.
' There's nothing to alarm anybody,' I said ;
' it's all right.'
But my imcle, who was growing terribly
excited, hardly seemed to hear me.
152 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' If thar be aught Avrong wi' my little
woman,' he cried, ' tell me ; I aint a child to
be petted, nor a fool to be kept i' the dark.
Speak, tell me what 'tis all about ! '
So we told him all we knew, and, putting
this and that together, he gathered at least
one idea — that his child had, for some reason
or other, voluntarily left her home. He
stood like a man stupefied, scarcely gathering
the sense of the situation, and dimly wondering
why his wife received the news so violently.
In his simplicity, he did not guess, as yet, that
Annie's flight mi";ht have its ori<]i;in in secret
guilt and shame.
But when John Eudd was gone, and we
were left to ourselves, I looked at my uncle
and aunt, both so changed Avithin the last few
hours, and told them my suspicions of George
Eedruth. To my surprise they were received
with blank amazement, then with indication.
THE LETTER 153
My uncle averred that I had always dishked
the young master, and it was but natural I
should credit him with a dastardly deed ; but
he himself refused to believe for one moment
in the young man's guilt. I felt convinced of
it, how^ever, in my ow-n mind ; and in order
to make sure, I determined to go up to the
master's house and ascertain if he were from
home.
The moment my uncle heard of my deter-
mination he resolved to accompany me. On
asking for the master, we were shown into the
library ; five minutes later the young man
himself walked into the room.
The sight of him deprived me utterly of the
power of speech ; my uncle looked at me
reproachfully, and was silent too.
George Eedruth, who had just been dining,
wore evening dress, and had never looked
154 THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
handsomer, or more tlioroiiglily at his ease, in
his hfe.
' Well ! ' he said, glancing at us pleasantly
— he was evidently in an after-dinner mood —
' is there anything I can do for either of you ? '
' Master Jarge,' said my uncle, earnestly,
' we'm hi trouble, sir ; in sore trouble.'
' Indeed ! I'm sorry to hear it.'
' I knawed you'd be sarry, sir,' continued
my uncle, ' though 'taint no affair o' yourn,
God knaws ; but my daughter, sir, my little
Annie, she be run'd away ! '
' What ! ' he exclaimed. ' Run away from
home, do you mean ? But why come to me ?
What can J do ? '
' Naught, you can't do naught at all,' said
my uncle, ' that's just it.'
It was an awkward situation for us all, and
we all felt it. My uncle nervously turned his
hat round and round ; while the young master
THE LETTER 155
grew more and more uncomfortable as every
minute went by. I felt tliat some explanation
was demanded, and I gave it.
'The fact is, sir,' I said, 'there is some
villain at the bottom of it, and we want to find
out who that villain is.'
' And so you come to me ! Eeally, I don't
see the force of all this, and I have more
important matters to detain me ! '
He opened the door, and we, seeing that
further conversation would be useless, left the
room and the house.
During the walk home, my uncle never
spoke. When we reached the cottage, he sank
down into a chair, and hid his face in his
hands.
I^othing more could be done that night, so
we all went to bed ; but not to sleep. During
the night I frequently heard my uncle walking
witli measured step up and down his room, and
15 G THE MASTER OF THE MINE
in the grey of the morning lie came out to the
kitchen to kindle n fire.
I looked at him, and scarcely knew him ;
his face was white and lined like that of
an old man. He was quite calm ; but there
was a sad look in his eyes which spoke of deep-
set pain.
I spoke to him of Annie, and told of a plan
I had made to follow her and bring her back ;
but he sadly shook his head.
' Naw, lad,' said he, ' 'tis best left alawn ;
she went o' her awn free will, and maybe
some day she'll come back ; and till she does,
we'll wait, we'll wait ! '
I felt he was ridit ; it was better to wait.
Even if we had been rich folk, which we were
not, it would have been difficult to find her ;
as it was, the matter was hopeless. So we
went on as usual with the old life. And yet
it was not the old life, for the house was
THE LETTER 157
chaiiGred indeed — and there was ever one
vacant cliair.
Several days after that sad night, a letter
came from Annie ; it bore the London post-
mark, and ran as follows : —
' My dear Parents, — Do not grieve about
me, for I am quite well and in want of nothing.
Do not attempt to find me, it would be useless ;
but I shall soon come back, with God's blessing,
and then you will learn why I left without a
word. I am sorry, so sorry, for any trouble
I have given you, and hope you wdll forgive
me, for the sake of the happy days that are
gone away. Your loving daughter,
' Annie.'
My aunt read the letter aloud ; then my
uncle took it from her, looked at it for a long
time, and finally, without a word, placed it on
158 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
tlio fire — watcliiug it till it was consumed.
After that, for a long time to come, he never
spoke of Annie again ; but he drooped daily,
like a man imder the weight of some mortal
pain.
159
CHAPTEE XI.
THE GREAT STORM.
It was now late in the year, and the winter
storms were beo;innino;. There were intervals
of calm, cool weather, when the wind came
from the east or south-east, and still frosty
days, when a breath as cold as steel crept
from the red sunrise of the north ; but ever
and again the trumpet of the tempest sounded
westAvard and southward, and the ocean rose
up before it in mountains of furious storm.
To stand on the seashore, or on the
weather-worn cliffs, at such moments, was au
experience not to be forgotten. With a sound
of crashing- thunder, with sheet-like flashes
IGO THE MASTER OF THE MINE
of flying foam, tlic mighty billows came
rolling in ; while far away, in the eye of the
wind, the clouds gathered and baleful rays
came and Avent, as if from the under world.
Again and again, during these storms, the
men forsook their work in the mine and
clustered on the wind-swept crags ; for the
sound beneath was too terrible, and at each
crash of the waters overhead the solid roofs
of rock seemed about to topple in.
A new lifeboat had come round from
Falmouth during the summer ; it was manned
chiefly by workers in the mine, and I was
their captain. We had tried the boat again
and again in light weather, and were proud
of her as life-boatsmen could be ; so that,
when need came, we were ready to do all
that human hands could do for the succour
of shipwrecked souls. Fortunately, few vessels
came that way, to need our aid in time
THK GREAT STORM 161
of peril, for the great ships gave that lonely
shore a wide berth, knowing its many perils.
Sometimes, however, a coasting-vessel, heavily
laden, came ashore on the outlying reefs, but,
thanks to our sturdy boat, without much loss of
life.
On the afternoon of the 22nd day of
November, 18 — , there occurred such a phe-
nomenon as I have seen only once in my
life, and scarcely expect to see again. The
ocean was dead calm and black as ink ; the
sooty clouds, with sheets of windless vapour
trailing right down to the earth and water,
kept stationary in a sort of sinister twilight ;
and the air Avas full of an extraordinary
stillness, in which the concussion of the
slightest sound — a cock crowing, a goat
bleating, a human voice crying — was heard
for miles away.
I had just been down the mine, where
VOL. I. M
1G2 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
I found tlie men luid ceased working, and had
gathered in knots, whispering together. For
all through the dark galleries and passages
there came, from time to time, a curious
tremor, like the shock of earthquake — sullen,
sinister, terrible, making the heart, for some
unknown reason, stand still with fear. Nor
was this sound to be accounted for by the
dashing of waves above that subaqueous dark-
ness, since there was not a breath of wind,
and the sea lay in sullen, moveless folds,
scarcely vibrating.
' What is it, my lads ? ' I had asked,
accosting the first group of men, who were
clustering on the central platform.
As I spoke, the tremor came again, so that
the walls seemed tumbling over, the hard
groimd rocking under me, with a vibration
which seemed to send a nameless terror into
my very blood.
THE GREAT STORM 163
My uncle, wlio was there witli the others,
shook his head ominously.
' We dawn't rightly knaw,' he said ; ' but
we ha' hard 'un again and again, sounding
hke that. Seems threatenincy like, and I
ha' bidden the gang knock off wark for
to-day.'
I knew that it was useless to remonstrate,
for the men were evidently full of superstitious
dread, which, if the truth must be told, I
could not help sharing. They threw down
their pickaxes and shovels, and followed me up
the shaft.
We found Johnson there, who seemed
astonished at our appearance, and, when I
told him what had taken place, looked
savage.
' You're spoiling the men, Trelawney,' he
said. ' Guess such nervous fancies are only
fit for an old woman. Why, the sea 's like
M 2
164 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
a mill-pond, and tliere aint a breath of
wind.'
' If you think it's only fonry,' I replied,
' come down with me and try. I'll give you a
five-pound note if you stop down there half an
hour.'
He shrank back and shook his head angrily,
while the men clustering round us, greeted my
speech with a laugh.
' I shall report this,' he cried, viciously. ' A
pack of cow^ards ! '
And he walked off, amid an angry
murmur from the men, who detested him
cordially.
As the afternoon passed, and the dull
leaden twilight increased, we saw, looking
seaward, the phenomenon to which I have
alluded : two suns, one round and purple,
the other pink and ghostly, floating in the
vapours to the west. Both were quite rayless,
THE GREAT STORM 165
and ihey liimg as it were some fifty yards from
each otlier. Both seemed so near to us that
one would liave thought it possible to reach
them with a bullet from a gun.
I cannot express in words tlie strangely
depressing and vaguely alarming effect of this
phenomenon on myself and all who witnessed
it. Nor Avas the effect lessened when the
dimmer of the two suns suddenly disappeared,
and the other changed in a moment from
purple to jet black. A jet black ball in the
midst of a waste of leaden grey.
' Lawd save us ! ' cried Martin Treruddock,
an old fisherman, and one of our lifeboat's
crew. ' Lawd save us ! It looks like judgment,
mates — like the Last Day ! '
This, indeed, was the thought which was
passing through all our minds. We stood
looking in suspense till the black sun dis-
appeared, and total darkness came ; and then.
166 THE M\STER OF THE MINE
witli no little forebodiiiir, we scattered to our
homes.
But in the night, as we lay sleeping in our
beds, we learned that what we had witnessed
betokened, not any supernatural disturbance,
but the gathering of such a tempest as has
ocldom been seen, before or since, on those
shores. It came Avitli fearful lightnincf and
close-following thunder, followed by drops of
black and hideous hail ; and then, with a crash
and a scream and cry, the wind rushed from
the sea. I lay in my bed in the cottage,
thinking every moment that the house would
come down, shaking as it did to its foun-
dations, or the roof be blown away ; and every
minute the blasts grew more terrific, not
coming in broken gusts as during ordinary
storms, but in concussions of solid air, which
struck the walls with blows as of a battering
o
TUE GREAT STORM 167
ram, and made every stone in the structure
clatter like a loose tooth.
Presently, I saw my uncle, partially dressed
and holding a light, enter my chamber.
' Hugh, my lad, be you asleep ? '
' As if anyone could sleep on such a night !
I thought yesterday's portent meant something.
The storm has come ! '
'Mother be frighted badly,' he returned.
' She be praying, lad, dawn i' the kitchen.
Lawd save us ; hark to that ! ' he added, as a
flash of iiery hghtning filled the room, and
wind and thunder mingled together in awful
reverberation.
There was no resting in bed, so I slipped on
my clothes and went down with my uncle to
the kitchen, where I found my aunt full of
superstitious terror. She had got out the old
Bible, and, having opened at random, was
readin"; in a low voice from one of the Psalms.
o
1G8 TUE MASTER OF THE MLXE
I did my best to allay her fears, but succeeded
very badly.
For the greater part of the night we re-
mained sitting up. The thunder and lightning
lasted well on till morning, and when they
ceased, it became possible for the first time to
realise the frightful violence of the gale. It
was, as I afterwards learned, a well-defined
cyclone.
With the first peep of daylight, I seized my
hat and moved to the door.
' Whar be'st gawing, lad ? ' cried my aunt.
' Down to the shore. It's a high spring- tide,
and I want to see if the life-boat's snug.'
' Na, na,' she cried, ' stawp yar ! '
But I only smiled at her fears, and hastened
away. No sooner had I left the cottage than
the wind caught me, and almost dashed me
from my feet ; but I stooped my head, and
plunged right on in the teeth of the gale. The
THE GREAT STORM 160
day was now breaking, with lurid sullen rays,
behind my back. Short as the distance was to
the seashore, I thought I should never reach it,
so terrible was the fury of the blast ! More
than once I had actually to lie down on the
groimd, and let it trample over me ! And with
the blast came hail and heavy rain, blinding
me, smiting my cheek like whipcord, and draw-
ing blood, so that I could scarcely see a yard
before my face.
At last I gained the cliff, and here I had
much ado to prevent myself from being lifted
up bodily and blown away. But I threw
myself on my face, and looked seaward.
Nothing was visible, only driving mists and
vapours ; but right below there was a blinding
whiteness of the line of breakers, and thence
there rose up to me, together with the wild
wisps of solid wind-swept water, the deafen-
170 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
iiig tliundcr-roar of the tumultuously surging
sea.
Gaining courage presently, as the liglit in
the east grew clearer, I crawled down the path
leading to the shore. As I went, I was some-
times flattened like a rag against the rocks, by
the sheer force of the wind ; but I persevered,
and at last, with God's help, reached the
bottom.
It was high tide ; the roaring billows were
thundering up close to tlie clill', and the shallow
creek surrounding the boat-house was as white
as milk with the churnini^ of the waters. I
then perceived, to my consternation, that the
gale had struck tlie boat-house with such force
as to swieep the wooden roof away and dash it
into fragments against the clilTs. I crept on to
the door, which was on the lee and sheltered
side, drew forth from my pocket the key of the
padlock, opened it, and went in. The great
THE GREAT STORM 171
boat lay there uuliarmecl, but was half full of
water, fresh from the dark rain-clouds, salt
from the angry sea. One of the oars had been
hfted out and snapped like a rotten twig, but
that was all.
Suddenly, as I stood here sheltering from
the gale, I heard a sound from seaward, like
the sound of a gun. I started, listening. In
a minute the sound was repeated. Yes ; it was
a gun at sea, and the sound could have only
one signification — a vessel in distress !
Quitting the boat-house, I stood on the
shore, and strained my eyes against the drifting
vapours and blinding wind ; but I could distin-
guish nothing — indeed, so great was the rainy
darkness, that my vision could not penetrate
beyond twenty or thirty yards from the storm-
swept shore. But if I needed any fresh assur-
ance that a ship of some sort was struggling
with the elements not far away, it came to me
172 THE MASTER OF T^IE MINE
in another foint report of a gun, and finally, in
the red light of a rocket, which shot up
through the black vapours like a shooting star,
and disappeared.
173
CHAPTER XII.
THE SURVIVORS OF THE WRECK.
Quitting the storm-swept shore, I cHmbecl half-
way up the crags, and endeavoured, with strain-
ino- eyes, to penetrate the darkness seaward ;
but although it was now broad day, the clouds
of wind-blown vapour still covered the troubled
sea.
Greatly agitated, I made my way up the
cliff, and reached the summit, where I found
that an excited group, composed of fishermen
and miners, had already gathered. Among
them was my uncle, who addressed me eagerly
the moment I appeared.
'Did you say the lights, lad? Sure as
17-i THE MASTER OF THE MINE
tlcatli, lliere be a sliip on the rocks out
thar.'
' On the South Stack,' said an okl fisherman)
naming an ugly reef wliich Lay riglit across the
mouth of the bay, three-quarters of a mile from
shore.
'Are you sure she's there?' I asked,
eagerly.
'Sure enough,' was the reply. 'When the
last light went oop, I saw 'un — leastways,
summat black amang the mist and foam.'
There was nothing for it but to wait and
watch ; for to go to the rescue in the teeth of
such a storm was out of the question, even if
we had been able to launch the lifeboat through
the billows madly breaking on the shore. The
wind still blew with extraordinary fury, though
signs were not wanting that its strength was par-
tially broken ; and still, with thimderous roar,
the waves came rolling in, sending up a cloud
THE SURVIVORS OF THE WRECK 175
of wliite foam that reached to tlie very summit
of the chff where we were crouching ; and still,
trailing as it were on the waves and belching
hither and thither, like thick smoke from a
furnace, the mist came driving shoreward, blot-
tinoj the sea from sidit.
From time to time the gun sounded again ;
then it ceased altogether ; and no more rockets
rose, to indicate the whereabouts of the hidden
vessel. Was all over? Had the cruel seas
devoured her, with the helpless souls on board ?
Sick w^ith suspense, we waited and watched
almost certain that the last appeal had been
made, and that all was over.
Suddenly, the storm-smoke blew upward
here and there, leaving visible wild patches of
tossing water. Simultaneously, the wind less-
ened, coming not in solid phalanx, but in gusts,
fitful though terrible — very cannon blasts of
air.
17G THE MASTER OF THE MINE
A ^vild ciy rose, and all liaiids were sud-
denly pointed seaward.
Tlien, straining my eyes tlirough the blind-
in jx rain, I saw something like a white wall
of vapour rising right out to sea in the
direction of the South Stack, and ri^lit in its
centre the black outline of a large vessel,
wedged lirmly on the jagged rocks. For a
moment she was visible, then the vapours
blotted her once more from sis!;ht. A minute
afterwards, she was again visible, this time
more distinctly, so that I could clearly discern
a black funnel and two masts, a mainmast
intact, a foremast broken off just above the
decks. She was a large screw-steamer, with
her back broken right across, and only saved
from sinking by the very rocks which had
destroyed her.
How she had got into that fatal position it
was difficult to tell. Possibly her propeller
THE SURYIVOKS OF THE WKECK 177
liad snapped, as is not uncommon with such
vessels, or the water had swamped her engines
and put them out ; in either of whicli cases,
seeino; how Httle sail she would be able to
carry at the best, it had been a vain task to
attempt to beat off a lee shore in the face of
such a gale.
She was so far away, and the mists were
still so troublesome, that it was difficult to tell
if there were any souls still left on board.
More than once I fancied that I discerned
shapes like human forms clinging to or lashed
to the rigging of the mainmast, but it was
impossible to distinguish them with any cer-
tainty.
However, my mind was now made up. The
lifeboat must be launched and manned without
delay. I turned to the men and said as much,
but tliey shrank back in unconcealed terror at
the mere proposition. And, indeed, it seemed
VOL. I. N
178 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
a liopelcys affair ! Althoiigli tlie Aviiid had
certainly fiillen a little, its Mling seemed to
augment, ratlier than to lessen, the fury of the
sea. The waters between us and the vessel
were terrible even to look upon ; and it seemed
impossible that even a hfeboat could live
among them. Even if she lived, how could
the strength of men propel her right in the
teeth of the tempest ?
While the men stood hesitating, the mists
rose all round the ship, and we saw, to our
amazement, that a stir was taking place upon
her decks. Yes ; there could be no doubt of
the fact ; a boat was preparing to leave her
sides, and, freighted with human beings, push
away for the shore.
Never shall I forget that sight ! Just in
the lee of the crippled vessel, under the cloud
■of white smoke which rose for a moment high
above her remaining mast, there was a heaving
THE SURVIVORS OF THE WRECK 179
patcli where the boat could float in safety ;
but beyond it, and nearer to us the waves rose
ag;ain in awful crested billows whirling^ and
swirlino; towards the shore. Seen from our
point of vantage, the boat seemed a mere
cockle-shell ; but we saw the tiny specks
crowding^ into it, while the broken water
streamed hke milk over the vessel's decks
and down her shoreward sides.
' God help them ! ' I cried aloud, and more
than one voice echoed my prayer.
The boat pushed off. The under-swell
caught her and rushed her along at lightning
speed, and in a few moments she reached the
broken water. There the wind seemed to
smite her sidelong, and she was buried instan-
taneously in the trough of the sea. But she
reappeared, half smothered in surf and flying
foam. Then we saw, rapidly approaching hei',
a mountainous and awful wave !
N 2
180 Tin: PIASTER of the :mine
Tlie little boat, as if it were a living
tliiniz, seemed to see it too, and to stru^'ule to
escape ! Sick with horror, I covered my eyes ;
I could not look. Then I heard a deep
groan from the men around me, and looked
again.
The boat had gone, never to reappear.
The mighty wave had broken and was roaring
shoreward, and amid its foam I saw, or seemed
to see, shapes that struggled, sank, and died.
' Man the lifeboat ! ' I cried. ' Quick,
lads ! Follow me ! '
My uncle gripped me by the arm.
' Too late, lad ! There's ne'er a sawl
aboard ! '
' Look yonder ! ' I answered, pointing sea-
ward. ' There are livinn; men on the deck
D
still, and in the risofino". Come ! '
The lads, who were English born and had
their hearts in the right places, responded with
THE SURVIYOKS OF THE WRECK 181
a cheer, and down the path we rushed till we
reached the shore. Entering the boat-house,
we soon had the boat baled and ready for
launching, wdien I first realised, to my dismay,
that w^e were short-handed, several of my best
men being aw^ay. But tw^o strong lads from
the mine volunteered, and my uncle made a
third; and so we formed a crew. To every
man I gave a cork life-belt, and tied on one
myself. Then, sjoringing to my place in the
stern, I urged on my men, as with shouts and
yells, scarcely heard amid the roar of water,
they ran the boat into the creek.
Each man knew his place. They urged
the boat, bow forward, into the surge, and
waded with it, those the furthest from shore
w^ading breast-deep in the weaves. Thrice we
were beaten back, and I thought the boat
would have been crushed to pieces on the
beach, but at last she floated — the men leaped
182 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
ill and took tlicir i)lace.s — tlie oars smote the
boiling snrgc, and out we crept to sea.
Once fairly afloat, we realised for the first
time the strength and fury of the storm.
Clouds of flying foam covered us, the strong
seas caucfht the oars and almost tore them
from the grasp, and for a time we scarcely
seemed to gain a foot of way. But the lads
put out their strength, and sheer muscle and
bold heroic will conquering at last, the life-
boat left the shore.
And now I alone, standing in the stern-
sheets, with the steering oar in my hand,
could see what mountainous seas we had to
pass before we could reach the doomed vessel,
which was now scarcely discernible through
the sheet of lov/-flying spray. As some great
wave came near, curling high above us, I
cheered on the men, and we met it with a
shock like thunder and a rattle of every plank
THE SURVIYOKS OF THE AYRECK 18
o
of which the boat was made. More than once
the seas made a clean breach over us, but the
air-tight compartments and cushions of cork
kept us from actually foundering. On we
w^ent, with the light of the kindling east
turning from red to reddish-gold behind us,
and the mists, struck by the new radiance,
thinnino- to seaward ; and so, after a fierce
tussle with wind and water, we came in full
sisjht of the doomed vessel.
Stuck fast on the cruel reef, her back
broken, she was struggling like a crippled
bird — lying over, with her decks and funnel
inchned towards the shore, and quivermg
through and through with every blow of the
strong metallic waves. A pillar of smoky
foam, ever vanishing, ever renewed, hung over
her in the air, and from time to time the
v/aters foamed over her weather side, and
streamed over the splitting decks.
184 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
At first I could discern no sign of life, but
as we drew nearer and nearer, I saw one or
twoJm'ures clin<»-in^ in tlie rifrii-innr from which
many of their comrades had doubtless been
washed away. They saw us coming, for one
of them waved something white.
' Pull for your lives ! ' I cried. ' There are
men aboard ! '
The lads answered me with a cheer, and
the boat shot forward to the steady sweep of
their united oars till we were within a hun-
dred yards of the steamer.
Then I saw a sight which filled all my soul
with fear and pity. Lashed to, or clinging to,
the mainmast, was the solitary figure of a
woman. I knew her sex by the wild hair
fallino: over her shoulders, and the curious
feminine grace of her form, visible through
a dark cloak that had been thrown hastily
upon her shoulders ; but lier head was droop-
THE SURVIVORS OF THE TVRECK 185
ins and her face liidden, and she did not seem
'O
conscious of what wns tnking place.
I told the men that a woman was there,
and though they needed no new incentive to
give tliem strengtli, their faces grew more
animated, and I knew they w^onkl have faced
fire as well as water in such a cause. In a
few minutes more we were close at hand,
rising and falling on the white surge in the
vessel's lee.
Then the woman raised her head, and
looked in our direction. The men saw her,
and gave another cheer ; but I — I could have
swooned away in consternation. My head
went round. I looked a^ain and aQ;ain.
Either I was mad, or dreaming, or the face
I gazed upon was that of the love of my boy-
hood — Madeline Graham !
186 THE MASTEIl OF THE MIXE
CHAPTEE XIII.
MADELINE GRAHAM.
Yes ; I knew her in a moment.
Tlie lurid light of the tempestuous morn-
ing shone full upon her face, and on the
clinging dress and cloak, wliich more expressed
than hid her lovely form. Her eyes were
wildly fixed, her face pale as death ; but in
her features there was a splendid self-posses-
sion far removed fromx common fear.
Though so many years had passed since
we had last met, she was still the same ; only
taller and more womanly, and even more
strangely beautiful than when she had first
shed love and rapture on my boyish heart.
MADELINE GEAHAM 187
She was fastened to the mast by a rope.
Her feet were bare, and I saw, to my horror,
that all she wore save the great fur cloak was
a ni2:ht-dress of white cotton, reaching" to her
feet. Her hair fell over her shoulders in loose
and dripping folds, descending almost to her
wiiist. Peering more closely, I perceived that
her lips were blue, and her form shivering
with cold ; indeed, it was a miracle that she
had not perished in the chill of that cruel
nio'ht.
From that moment I saw nothing but that
one figure ; all others were blurred and practi-
cally unseen. In my wild amazement and
eagerness to reach her, I could have sprung
into the tossing waves.
The vessel lay sidelong, her decks turned
towards the shore ; and the fierce billows,
striking her seaward sides, broke with a thun-
derous roar and a cloud of spray, and then
188 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
came surging down the slippery decks in a thin
sheet of foam, boiUng round tlie naked feet of
the soHtary maiden.
We liung off for a mhuite, to let one great
sea go by ; then we swept alongside. What
followed was more like a dream than waking
reality. But with an eager cry I leapt upon
the deck, and staggered up towards Madehne
Graham
Twice I slipped to my knees, and was
driven back and bruised against the buhvarks ;
but the third time I succeeded, and, reaching
her side, clung to the mast, and gazed into her
face.
' Madeline ! ' I cried.
Her eyes met mine, but she gave no sign of
recognition. It was clear that what I remem-
bered so vividly she had utterly forgotten.
Drawing my clasp-knife, I cut her free, and
MADELINE GRAHAM 189
put my arms around lier to bear lier back to
the boat. The decks rocked and spht beneath
us ; she chmg to me, as if in terror. Then I
watched my chance, and, raising her bodily in
my arms, carried her to the vessel's side, and
handed her to the men.
I was about to follow her, when I was at-
tracted by a wild scream, and, turning, I perceived
the fi<]jure of another woman crawlini? on the
deck, close to the companion. She was dark-
complexioned, like a mulatto, and almost naked.
Without a moment's hesitation, I ran to her,
and half lifted, half dragged her, to the vessel's
side.
I now perceived that we had saved, in addi-
tion to the two w^omen, two white seamen and
a black man, who afterwards turned out to be
the ship's cook. I clung to the bulwarks, and
looked round, searching for any other signs of
life.
190 THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
' Come, 1ml, come ! ' cried my uncle.
' Quick ! the ship's breaking up ! '
I looked at the strange sailors, avIio sat
shivering in the bottom of the lifeboat.
' Are there no more souls aboard ? ' I
cried.
' JS^ot one,' they answered. All the rest had
perished in the long-boat, in the fatal attempt
to reach the shore.
There was not a moment to be lost. The
vessel was evidently doomed, and every shock
of the sea threatened to complete the work of
destruction. The black funnel, almost wrenched
out of the bursting decks, was leaning over
terribly, and threatening every moment to crash
down bodity and destroy the lifeboat.
I leapt in, and scrambled to my place in the
stern. On the seat close by me was Madeline,
her eyes half closed, her neck resting on the
MADELINE GRAHAM 191
CiinDel : and at her feet was the coloured
woman, moanino- and cryino-.
It was but the work of a moment to strip
off my pilot-coat and wrap it round Madeline's
half-naked limbs ; but while I did so the men
cried impatiently, and pushed off.
' Give way, lads ! ' I cried. ' Now ! Pull
for your lives ! '
Away we went through the surging sea.
Not a moment too soon did we leave the vessel;
for ere we were thirty yards away the decks
were rent asunder, and tlie huge ftuinel toppled
over and fell like a battering ram upon the
bulwarks, wdiich broke like tinder beneath the
blow.
With wind and sea to urge us on, we flew
shoreward, and the strength of the oarsmen
was needed rather to break than to increase
our lightning speed. Again and again the
sjreat seas rose behind and threatened to eno-ulf
192 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
US ; while gripping the steering oar I watclied
tliem, and guided the brave boat.
At last we approached the shore, and saw
a great crowd waiting upon the shingle and
swarming ii})on the cliff. Tossing like a cork
upon the waters, we waited our chance, and
then, after one huge wave had spent itself, and
there was a momentary surcease of the water's
power, I headed the boat's bow for the creek,
and we rowed in.
As the keel struck the sands, a dozen men
rushed in waist-deep to seize the boat ; our
men joined them, and then, with a long pull,
a strong pull, and a great ringing cheer, the
boat was hauled high and dry, and we were
safe.
My first thought was of Madeline. I lifted
her out in my strong arms, and carried her into
the shelter of the boat-house. Her face and
hands were cold as ice, and she was still swoon-
MADELINE GRAHAM 193
ing. I called out for brandy ; and thank God !
a man handed me a full flask. Supporting her
head upon my shoulder, I moistened her lips
with the raw spirit, and once moi'e, in my wild
anxiety, I breathed her name.
Once more she opened her eyes and looked
upon me ; still there was no sign whatever of
recognition.
She looked wildly round her, saw the rough
but kindly faces on every side, and murmured :
' Where am I ? Who calls me ? '
' You are quite safe,' I cried ; ' safe, and
amono- friends.'
Again she looked up into my face, as if
stupefied. I held the flask to her hps, and she
seemed to swallow a little ; then a shudder ran
through her frame, and she released herself
from my hold.
I placed her on one of the wooden seats,
and bent over, tenderly watching her. Grad-
VOL. I.
194 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
iially I saw the colour come back to her cheeks,
but very fiiiutly.
' Anita ! ' she murmured, and k)oked round
as if seekinG; someone. «"
The rough fellows, clustering in the boat-
house, murmured sympathisingly ; whispered
encomiums on her beauty passed from mouth
to mouth. And indeed she looked strangely
lovely, even in her desolation — her eyes bright-
ening, her colour coming and going, her hair
streamincy over lier shoulders, her neck and
arms and feet as white as driven snow !
As her strength and consciousness returned,
a new awe fell upon me, and I stood timidly
watchincj her.
She gazed at me again.
' Now I understand,' she said, ' Tell me of
the others ; are they saved ? '
1 told her the truth, and again she shud-
dered, half closing her eyes, as if to shut out
:\rADELIXE GRAHAM 105
tlie picture of the horrors of the wreck. At
tliat moment some of the hfeboat's men ap-
peared, leadmg with them tlie coloured woman,
wdio, the instant she saw Madeline, sprang
towards her and knelt b}^ her side, hysterically
sobbing, and kissing her hands.
Madeline bent over her and addressed her
in some foreicrn tongjue — Portn2;iiese, I after
wards discovered. She answered volubly in
the same speech. I suspected the truth, that
this black ^irl was an attendant or waiting;-
maid of some sort, and that Madeline was her
mistress.
Turning to one of the rescued sailors, who
had now approached and was phlegmatically
chewing a quid as if he had just been comfort-
ably landed from a passing boat, I questioned
him concerning the lost vessel. She was a
large trading steamer, he said, bound from
Demerara to the port of London ; her name,
O '2
19G THE MASTER OP THE MINE
the ' Valparaiso ; ' lier captain, one John Stetson,
a good sailor, who had been killed by the falling
of the foremast, and swept overboard. Her
passage across the Atlantic had been smooth
and pleasant ; but the night before she had
experienced all the strength of the great gale,
and while contendin£? with it had broken her
propeller. After that, she had tried to lie-to
imder sail, and had she found sea-room would
doubtless have been able to weather the storm ;
but as ill-luck would have it, the rocks of
Cornwall were right under her lee, and the
wind and sea swept her down upon them.
I questioned him concerning that episode
of the boat. He explained that two of the
boats had been smashed into fragments when
the ship lirst struck. The long-boat remained,
and at daybreak, after the captain perished, the
first officer, fancying that the ship was doomed,
determined to make for shore. All the crew
MADELINE GRAHAM 197
fullowed liim but my iufonnaiit and two others,
who preferred sticking by the steamer to facing
certain death. The men, in fact, were mad with
friglit and drink combined, and for this reason,
perhaps, altogether forgot to wait for Madehne.
who had gone below.
So the last boat left the ship. It had not
gone far when Madeline reappeared. She
would have been swept away but for the assist-
ance of the sailors, who strapped her to the
mast as the only chance of safety ; and as she
stood there terror-stricken, she saw the boat
en2:ulfed with all its crew — the same sad siG:ht
which we had seen from land.
It turned out, on further questioning, that
Miss Graham was the only passenger, and
occupied, with her coloured maid, the captain's
own cabin. Her father, a rich Demerara
planter, had died some months before she took
passage, leaving her a great inheritance. I had
198 THE IMASTER OF HIE ]\1L\E
no time to answer for myself tlie many questions
wliicli crowded upon my mind — Why Madeline
had come to Enuland ? Whether she had re-
lations surviving in the old country ? Whether
any living person, lover or friend, had the
right to protect her? But I looked at her
again, and thought how different she was from
all the other women I had known, in her
queenly grace and warmth of beauty. Beside
her, even my cousin Annie would have looked
coarse and common.
But there was no time to be lost, if slie
was to escape the consequences of that night's
exposure. She was still dripping wet, and the
morning air was bitterly cold.
' You must not stay here,' I said, approaching
her, ' or you will catch your death. Do you
tliink you can ascend the cliffs? My aunt's
cottage is close by, and I should like to take
you there at once.'
MADELINE GRAHAM 199
She rose at once, shivering, and took my
arm. Half leading, half supporting lier, I
guided her out of the boat-house and up the
steep ascent leading to the summit of the crag,
my uncle helping her upon the other side.
Some of the others followed, leading the
coloured mrl.
It was a steep climb ; and before we had
gone far we found that her strength w^as failing
her, so that we w^ere compelled to raise her
bodily in our arms ; but she was light and
fragile enough, and, for my own part, I could
have carried her like a child.
Once on the summit, we rested again, while
some of the men w^ent in chase of a moor pony,
one of several grazing on the moor hard by.
When it was secured, and bridled and bitted
with a stout rope, I lifted her upon it, and
placed the black girl by her side ; and thus,
still holding her and walking by her side, wdiile
200 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
the men followed behind like a procession, I
conducted her to our cottnge, and handed her
over to the care of my hind aunt.
Thus God, in a mysterious fashion, had
restored to me the being who had been to me
for so many j^ars a sweet memory and a
delightful vision. I felt strangely happy, yet
troubled ; unable vet to realise what had taken
place. When my aunt had led Madeline to a
chamber upstairs, where she tended her with
motherly sympathy and tenderness, I sat in the
kitchen, Avaiting and wondering, like one in a
dream.
201
CHAPTER XIY.
A SUXBEAM IX THE COTTAGE.
It seemed as if the days of my boyhood had
come back to me. Never since then had I
experienced such feehngs as now filled my
heart, for with her fading they had faded, and
during the years of our separation I had passed
my time with tolerable tranquillity ; but now
that she had been so miraculously restored to
me, the old fire was rekindled in my soul, and
I became another man.
Her very presence in the house that night
drove away all thoughts of sleep. I paced my
room with restless footsteps, and when the dawn
broke I hurried off to the shore.
202 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
What a chanire had come ! The wind had
died, tlie sea was Hke glass, and the only
record le(t of the storm was the wreckage
wdiich was being cast upon the sands. Early
as I was, there were others before me, gazing
eagerly seaward, and searching along the cliffs
for a prize.
I took a walk round by the mine, and,
having made a hasty inspection, I hurried back
to the cottage, eagerly hoping, yet half dreading,
to see Madeline. But I was disappointed. My
uncle had gone to his work. My aunt was
busy, but alone. I looked round the kitchen,
and my heart qave a o-reat throb. After all,
the events of the past night were real. There,
han<i-ini:f beside the fire, was the cloak — a rich
mantle of silk and fur— which had been clinging
round Madeline's form Avhen I took her from
the wreck.
I incLuired eagerly for Madeline. 'Have
A SUNBEAM IX THE COTTAGE 203
you seen her, aunt ? ' I asked. ' Is slie well ?
How does she look ? '
I suppose there was something peculiar in
my manner, for my aunt gazed at me curiously,
and said :
' Who be she, Hugh ? Dost knaw who she
be?'
' Yes,' I replied ; ' she is Miss Madeline
Graham. She was at school with me lon'^ a";o.
Just before m}^ father died she left, and I have
never seen her since.'
At that moment the door opened, and the
figure of the black woman appeared. In the
light of day she looked foreign indeed — a slight,
delicate girl, shivering with the cold of our raw
climate. I asked her how her mistress did.
She made no ans^ver, but stared vacantly at
me ; and I then discovered that she knew no
language but the one in which she had spoken
to Madeline. I looked at my aunt, and she
204 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
understood — she went herself into the bedroom
to see how licr Lruest was ""ettiuii; on.
O Co
She was away only a few minutes, yet it
seemed to me an hour. When she came hack,
she smiled at my anxious look.
' It be all right, lad, it be all right,' she
said. ' Tlie lady be awn the warse o' her
w^atting ; but she be tired, and will stawp in bed
to-day. Slie be a pratty creature, Hugh, and
rich, I darsay ; for her fingers be covered
wd' dawmond rings.'
All that day, overcome by the fatigue
through which she had j)assed, Madeline re-
mained in her chamber ; while I, utterly unable
to work, hung like a restless spirit about the
house. The next morning she awoke refreshed;
and when we three sat at breakfast, she as-
tonished us all by appearing amongst us, fully
dressed, and looking bright and well.
Her advent caused a cjeneral exclamation ;
A SUXBEAM IX THE COTTAGE 205
my aunt ran forward to lier assistance ; my
uncle placed om- most comfortable chair beside
the fire ; while I, dmnl^ and powerless, stood
in the backojround doing^ nothiao-. Madeline !
Could this be Madelme ? — the little girl I had
dreamed of all these years, whose hands had
been covered with my passionate kisses and
marked with my tears, and who had even wept
a little herself at parting with me ; could this be
the same ? — this glorious creature, with dreamy
black eyes, warm brown skin, and glorious
black hair ! Her form was tall and straiafht as
a willow ; she moved like a queen !
As all her own clothes had been lost in the
wreck she wore a dress of my aunt's ; over it
she had thrown the cloak which she had worn
on the wreck, and which was now thoroughly
dried. She came forward languidly, leaning on
the shoulder of her black attendant, and sank
down into the chair which my uncle had placed
20G THE MASTER OF THE MINE
for lier, ^vllile the native bci::jini cryino- and
ki:5.'?iiig her hands. They spoke together in tlie
foreign tongne ; then Madeline raised her eyes
and looked qnietly around. iVll this while I
had been standing in the background, longing,
yet dreading to speak to lier ; for I saw clearly
enough that to her all the past was forgotten ;
but now, as her eyes swept the room and
finally rested witli a look of recognition on
my face, I felt the liot blood mount to my
temples.
' Am I mistaken ? ' she asked, softly ; ' did
you take me from the wreck ? '
I bowed my head. Tn a moment all her
languor disappeared, the old fire darted from
her eyes, the old flush suffused her cheeks — she
was the Madeline of my childhood once more.
She looked at her hands, with one quick move-
ment pulled off the most valuable of her rings,
and held it towards me
A SUXBEAM IX THE COTTAGE 207
' Will you not take it ? ' she said, with
a bright smile. ' You saved my life.'
Her whole manner w^as that of a lady
speaking to an inferior. Under my excitement
I hardly noticed it. Scarcely knowing what I
did, I sprang forward and took the ring ; then,
eagerly kissing her hand, I placed it again upon
her fin O'er.
' Madeline,' I said, ' don't you know me ?
Madeline — IMiss Graham ! '
She looked at me more critically, and shook
her head.
' Have you forgotten Munster's ? ' I said,
' and Hugh Trelawney ? '
If I expected a wild outburst of pleasure at
the mention of my own name, I was quickly
disappointed. She only smiled ; and, with her
eyes fixed upon vacancy as if she was reviewing
the past, said :
' Munster's? Hugh Trelawney ? Oh yes ;
208 THE MASTER OF THE MLN'E
of course I remember now ! Hugh Trelawney
was tlic nicest of those Munster boys, and we
were friends ; but,' she added, fixing her eyes
anxiously upon me, ' surely you are not that
boy ? '
' Yes,' I replied, ' I am Hugh Trelawney !
Her eyes opened wider, she glanced from
me to my uncle and aunt, then round the
kitchen, then she was silent.
I felt that some explanation was due to
her, and I gave it. I told her of my father s
death — of the kindness of my uncle and aunt,
and of my subsequent life at St, Gurlott's.
' St. Gurlott's ! ' she said. ' Is this St.
Gurlott's in Cornwall ? '
I answered in the affirmative.
' Then I have an aunt living in a place of
that name,' she continued. ' Perhaps you may
know her : her name is Mrs. Eedruth.'
A SUNBEAM IN THE COTTAGE 209
' Lawd a mussey ! wha, that be our master's
mother ! ' broke in my amit. Bat I added :
' Are you sure it's the same, Miss Graham ?
This Mrs. Eedruth has a son who owns the
mine.'
'Yes, I know — my cousin George!' she
answered ; while my heart misgave me at the
familiar manner in which she mentioned the
name. 'Oh, it must be the same,' she con-
tinued, enthusiastically ; ' and to think I should
be shipwrecked here, of all places in the world !
Mr. Trelawney, are they far away? Would
it be possible to let them know that I am
here ? '
' It will be quite possible. Shall I take a
messac^e ? '
' Will you be so kind ? Perhaps if you tell
her the story and show her this,' she continued,
drawing a quaint signet-ring from her finger,
' my aunt will come to me. This was my dear
VOL. I. P
210 THE :\r.\STEU of the ]\il\e
fatlior's rinrr, and slie kncAv it well, for he
always wore it, — and he had it on even when
lie died ! '
I took the ring from her hand and started
off on my mission.
The events of the last few hours had made
me a changed being. I began to wonder if it
was all real; whether I had really seen
Madeline, and whether the one real romance of
my life had been ruthlessly swept away. It
was clear to me now that she thought little
of the past, and cared for it even less. While
I had been living npon the memory of those
dear days, she had let other events obliterate it
entirely from her mind. Well, it was clear I
must do the same. I must deliver her up to
the custody of her relations as coldly as if she
were a stranger who had casually been cast in
ray path for a day.
Having made my decision, I became calmer.
A SUNBEAM IN THE COTTAGE 211
and walked with a steady step up to Eedmth
House. I inquired for the young master ;
learned that he had left for London two days
before. I asked for the mistress, and she saw
me. She listened to my story quietly enough ;
when I showed her the ring, her white face
flushed, her hand trembled, and her eyes filled
with tears.
' It is my brother's, my poor brother's,' she
said, more to herself than to me ; then she
added, ' My niece is at your cotage, you
say ? '
' Yes, madame.'
' Tell her, I will come to her at once.'
I left the house and, instead of returnimi to
the cottage, walked straight down to the mine.
Where was the use of my returning to
Madeline : to stand by and see tliat grim and
stony-hearted woman bring to her queenly eyes
the light of happiness, to her lips the cry of joy,
P 2
212 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
which the sight of my face had failed to do ?
No ; such a sight miglit have roused all that
was bad in my nature. I was better away.
All day I worked with a fierce persistence
which alarmed me. I looked at myself in my
mining suit, then recalled Madeline as I had
seen her that morning — with her soft hands
sparkling with gems, and the black servant
crouching at her feet — and realised more than
ever the distance that divided us from one
another.
She was the mistress, born to command ; I
the servant, whose business it was to obey.
I returned home in the evening, and found
the cottage much the same as it had always
been. Madeline was gone.
' She be up at Eedruth House, Hugh,' said
my aunt. ' The awld missus came and took
her away, and right glad she was to go, poor
lass ! '
A SU.NBEAM IN THE COTTAGE 213
Slie showed me a five-pound note which
Madehne had given Iier, borrowing it from her
aunt to do so. She put the note into an old
work-box where most of lier treasures were
kept, and set about getting the tea, imagining
that the romance of last niolit's wreck had
ended.
214 THE MASTER OE THE MINE
CHAPTER XV.
UNDER THE SPELL.
For some days after that I saw nothing what-
ever of MadeUne ; indeed, so close was she
kept in the great house that she might never
have existed at all. I began to think that she
had taken her departure from Cornwall, but I
was wrong. One day, the seventh from that
on which the lifeboat had brought Madeline to
shore, I made a minute inspection of the mine,
which every day grew more dangerous, and
came up from ni}^ work covered with filth from
head to foot. I had passed the last ladder, and
stood on terra jirma^ at the mouth of the mine,
dazzled by the quick transformation from pitch
UNDER THE SPELL 215
darkness to broad daylight, wlien my ears were
struck by the sound of a voice which passed
like sudden music through my frame. I
rubbed my eyes and looked about me, and
there, not far from where I stood, was my old
sweetheart. She was dressed now in an elegant
costume of grey, which fitted her to perfection ;
a little hat with long plumes was on her head,
and her face, looking lovelier than ever, glowed
and sparkled in the light : with her rich brown
skin and sparkhng black eyes, her erect carriage,
graceful tread, she looked hke some Eastern
princess ! She was walking towards the spot
where I stood ; George Eedruth was beside her ;
while behind followed the black girl, Anita,
her dark eyes fixed upon her mistress. This
sudden encounter had so unnerved me that, for
a moment, it deprived me of the power both of
speech and motion. Quickly recovering myself,
however, I was about to move away, and so
21G THE MASTER OF THE MINE
avoid embarrassment, when the master's voice
arrested me.
' Trelawney,' he said ; ' one moment.' I
paused.
' Yes, sir.'
' Miss Graham wishes to go down the mine.
I tell her it is im})ossible. What do you say ?
Is it fit for a lady ? '
I was about to reply when Madeline inter-
posed.
' Don't worry about it, George,' she said,
' I've abandoned the idea.' Then, stepping up
to me, she held forth her little gloved hand. I
bowed over it, but did not take it, giving as an
excuse that I was not fit to approach her.
' I dare say you were in quite as forlorn a
condition the other morning when you snatched
me from the wreck,' she said ; 'yet you did not
hesitate then, when your own life was in peril.
Mr. Trelawney, take my hand.'
UNDER THE SPELL 217
I did as she requested, I clasped the httle
hand in both of mine and raised it respectfully
to my lips. In doing so, I caught a glimpse of
George Eedi'uth's face: it was black as the pit's
mouth.
'Now, my dear Madeline,' he said, im-
patiently, ' shall we go back? '
But Madehne was not ready, or perhaps
she was too imperious to be so ordered by
her cousin. She had abandoned all intention
of descending the mine ; but she was, neverthe-
less, anxious to inspect the outside of it.
' But you can go,' she said. ' Mr. Trelaw-
ney will escort me.'
'Nonsense!' returned her cousin. ' Tre-
lawney has got his work to attend to. I will
stay.'
And he did stay, for fully two hours ; at the
end of which time she allowed him to take her
away.
218 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
Three otlier days passed without a sign from
her ; tlien I encoimtered her again. It was in
the evening, wlien I was walking home. Tliis
time she was alone ; except for the servant, who
walked at a respectful distance behind her.
She came up to me unreservedly, and again
held forth her hand. Having shaken hands
with her, I paused, not very well knowing wdiat
to do ; when she helped me.
' I came to walk back with you,' she said.
' Do you mind ? '
'/ mind?'' 1 repeated, in amazement.
' You forget. Miss Graham, it is an honour for
me to walk beside you.'
She gave a little impatient toss of her head,
and we walked on together. For some time
not a word was spoken, but I felt that she was
watching me keenly. Presently she said :
' Do you know what I have been doing,
Mr. Trelawuey?'
UNDER THE SPELL 219
' No.'
' I have been trying to find in you one
trace of the boy I knew, years ago, at Muuster's
— and I have failed.'
' I don't understand.'
'Xo? Well, I will explain. The boy 1
knew was kind to me ; frank, open-hearted,
generous. You are somewhat unfriendly ;
reserved, harsh, and, if I may say so, churlish.
Why are you so changed ? '
' I am not changed, Lliss Graham ; or, if I
am, it is but with the tide of fortune, which
has ebbed and not flowed with me since we
met before. Wlien we were at Munster's I
believed we were equals, but now '
' Yes ; now '
' You are liiss Madeline Graham ; I am the
overseer of your cousin's mine.'
' Then you wish us to remain strangers ? '
' I think it would be better. '
220 THE mastI':r of the mine
'All! you are criiellor tlinu I thoiiirht ; if
you will not accept my friendship for the sake
of tlie old da3's when we were boy and girl
together, you will, at least, have some pity upon
me. I am lonely and amongst strangers here.
You seem like an old friend. If you will
suffer me to talk to you sometimes it will make
my stay here more pleasant.'
Her pleading won the day, and we became
friends. I never went to lledruth House, and
she never came to the cottaj:^e. I never souQ-ht
her, but quite innocently and frankly she sought
me. We often went on the moor when, after
my long day's work, I was making my way
home, and I could not regard these meetings as
purely accidental on her part. She was always
accompanied by the black girl, until one even-
ing, when she appeared alone.
' You are looking for Anita ! ' said Madeline,
noting my glance. ' She has gone to London
UNDER THE SPELL 221
with my aunt's maid, and will not return till
close on midnight. My cousin counselled my
staying at home to-night, or allowing him to
accompany me. I knew I should not want for
company, so refused to submit. I may not
enjoy these walks much longer.'
' What ! are you going away ? ' I asked, in
some alarm.
She shrugged her shoulders. ' Perhaps ! I
don't know ; certainly I shall have to go sooner
or later, but I trust it may not be sooner.
When I was shipwrecked here I was on my
way to London, to take up my abode with some
other relations. They are troubling me with
questions, so I have sent up Anita to satisfy
them as to my safety. Yet I suppose I shall
some day have to go.'
She tried to speak carelessly, yet I fancied
I detected a ring of regret in her voice, and I
222 THE MASTHR OF THE iAri>s'E
qiKiilecl before tlie feeling of desolation wliich
her words brought to my jieart.
In that one sentence she had unwittingly
shown to me myself — revealed to me the ter-
lible secret which I liad been vainly trying
to cru.sh from my heart. Even as she had
inlluenced my boyhood, she influenced my
manhood.
I loved her with the same unthinking love
which had filled my soul as a boy — loved her
even while I felt that such a love might be the
means of blighting my life. I knew that no
good could come of it, for was she not as far
removed from me as the moon was removed
from the sea ; and yet I felt at that moment
that to love her so, be it only for one hour, was
worth whole centuries of pain.
She walked with me as far as the cottacfe,
and, pausing at the little wicket gate, gave me
her hand.
UNDER THE SPELL 223
' Good iiiglit, ]\ir. Trelawney,' she said,
softly ; ' it is not good-bye yet ! '
Again I raised her hand, and pressed it to
my hps ; then I dimly remember entering the
cottag;e : bnt all seemed unreal — save the one
overmastering fact that, fool that I was, I was
the slave of Madeline Graham !
224 THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
CHAPTER XVI.
BY THE SEA.
The next day was Sunda}^ I rose early and
put on my idling clothes, a dark snit of tweed.
That I took more than usnal pains with myself
may be assumed from the fact that my aunt, as
I strolled in to breakfast, started, and looked at
me from head to foot in no little surprise.
Then she sighed deeply, and glanced at my
uncle, who, also dressed for the day, in a suit of
solemn black, was sitting moodily by the fire.
For many days past there had been notice-
able a curious change in my uncle's manner.
I scarcely observed it at the time, for my heart
was too full of other and pleasanter impres-
BY THE SEA 225
sions ; but afterwards, when 1 came to think it
over, I remembered vividly what had previously
passed without remark. To begin with, he
looked at least ten years older. His old cheery
laugh was gone ; and his eyes had a hard, far-
away look, very different to their former happy
brightness. Sometimes, as we sat together, he
would rise abruptly and pass out of the house,
leaving the meal on the table untouched. My
aunt seemed to forget her own trouble in watch-
ing his ; and nothing could surpass the silent
tenderness with which she waited upon him,
never breathing a word of her solicitude, but
showing in a hundred gentle ways her wifely
sympathy and devotion.
On the present occasion we breakfasted very
late ; and as we sat, there came to us, faintly
wafted over the distant moorland, the sound of
the church bells. My uncle started, listened, and
drew back his chair. Then, before we could
VOL. I. Q
226 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
say a word, lie seized liis hat, and left the
house.
' Gaw after him, Hugh ! ' cried my aunt —
adding quickly, ' Na, stay ! Maybe 'tis better
to let 'un be. Oh, Hugh, Hugh, he's never
been the same man since our Annie went fra
hame ! '
And the tears streamed down her worn
cheeks as she spoke, and her voice was
broken,
' Don't fret, aunt,' I said, gently. ' I'm
sure Annie is all right — indeed, you know
from her own letter that no harm has come to
her.'
' I'm nawt fretting for Annie, it's for
father ! ' was the reply. ' I dawn't knaw what
there be upon his mind, but he's tarrible
changed ; and what be warst, he won't speak
o't even to me ; but keeps it like a canker-
warm, a-crnawinf^ and eating- out his life. I
BY THE SEA 227
were watching liim just naw, and I knaw'd well
what were passing through un's mind.'
' What ? '
' First he saw thee dressed and smart, and
he thought haw his Annie, too, would be sitting,
ready for church o' Sundays ; and then the
bells sounded, and all the happy time cam' back
upon poor father's heart. Oh, Hugh ! if you
and Annie had been different to one another,
father would ha' been happy still ; but I dawn't
blame 'ee, lad — it were no fault o' yourn ! '
But though she acquitted me in w^ords,
there was in a manner a certain affectionate
reproach.
' Aunt,' I said, ' I would cut off my hand to
put things right ; but Annie never cared for
me, and I '
I paused awkwardly, knowing well that 1
had never loved my cousin.
' The Lawd will punish her ! ' cried my
Q2
228 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
aunt, bitterly. ' I'll ne'er forgie her ! If she
had stayed at hame like a decent lass, it would
all ha' come ridit i' the end. But she went wi'
scarce a ward, and wherever she be, the Lawd
will punish her ! '
' Nay, nay,' I said, rismg and putting my
hand on my aunt's shoulder, ' don't be hard on
poor Annie ! She'll soon come back, and then
all will be explained.'
My aunt's manner changed again, and the
tears streamed from her eyes anew.
' Oh, Hugh, my lad, think you our lassie
will ever coom back ? '
' Of course. 'Twas but a lass's whim for
change ; she'll soon tire and return. I'm sure
no harm has happened to her, and she was
always kind and loving.'
' Saw she were, Hugh, saw she were ! Hugh,
will 'ee speak to father, and try to cheer 'un ? '
I nodded, then stooping, I kissed m.y aunt
BY THE SEA 229
on tlie cheek. The Sabbatli bells still range
from the distance, clearly and sweetly. The
snn looked in throngh the window, and a
sunbeam trembled on the paven floor.
' Shall you gaw to church, lad ? ' asked my
aunt, as I moved to the door.
' Not to-day,' I replied. ' I'm going for a
walk on the moor.'
She looked at me keenly, and I saw that
she guessed my secret ; for the truth was, I was
hoping and praying to meet with Madeline.
With a heavy sigh, she turned away, and began
removing the breakfast things.
Once outside, I breathed again. It was a
calm, beautiful, sunny day, with just a touch of
frost in the clear sparkling air. Far away the
sea shone like silver.
I hesitated a moment, then walked down
the road towards the lodge gate — towards the
very spot, where, years before, I had first met
230 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
George Eedrutli. No one was about; a
Sabbatli stillness lay everywhere ; and the faint
sound of the far-off bells only rendered it
deeper.
I paused at the gate, and looked up the
avenue. There was no sign of anyone. I
longed to walk right up to the great house and
inquire for her I sought; but I lacked the
courage. What was I, a common overseer of
the mine, to go following the footsteps of a
j)roud lady ? If I could meet her by accident,
good and 'well : but I did not wish even her to
suspect that I was so anxious for the meeting.
Perhaps she had gone on to church. If so,
doubtless George Eedruth was in her company.
I fretted at the thought, and turned away. At
last, weary with waiting, I determined to seek
forgetfulness in a long walk across the moor,
such as I had told my aunt I had intended to
take.
BY THE SEA 231
Quitting the road, I followed a path which
led right over the open moorland in the
direction of the sea. The air was full of light-
ness and sweetness ; but my spirits by this time
had sunk to freezing-point. As to forgetting
the one object of my thought, that was simply
impossible. My soul was full of one image,
which went with me at every step I took.
I had wandered about a mile when I
perceived, by the side of a lonely moorland tarn
— one of those dark, turf-stained pools which
cast back the light like polished ebony, and
are often mysteriously deep — the figure of a
man. He was sitting on a fragment of rock,
and looking at the water.
Coming up quickly, I recognised my
uncle.
Our eyes met, but he did not speak.
Turning his head away, he looked down at the
tarn.
23i2 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' Wliy, uncle,' I cried, ' I thought you were
at cluircli ! '
' Naw, lad,' he answered, still with his head
averted : ' naw, lad, I were in naw mood for to
kneel and pray. I came out yar on the waste
land, and I sat down yar, a-thinking.'
I put my hand upon his shoulder.
' Uncle, you're not angry ? With «?<?, I
mean ? '
' Naw, lad,' he replied, in the same low,
listless tones. ' I ha' no call to be angry, least
of all wi' thee. Don't 'ee mind me — gang your
gait, and lea' me liere alawn.'
But I remembered my promise to my aunt,
and was determined not to leave him so. So I
sat down by his side, saying :
' You've no reason to take it so much to
heart ; it's making trouble, I think, before it
comes. I know well why you're fretting
yourself so much. It's about Annie ; but, take
BY THE SEA 233
my word for it, Annie's all right, and will soon
come back home.'
He tm^ned his face towards mine. How
strangely wild and weary it seemed, set in its
iron-grey hair.
' Sometimes I think, lad, as she'll never
cooni back ; and if she do, will she e'er again
be the same little Annie I used to knaw ? But
it's nawt that, my lad, it's nawt that as is on
my mind.'
' Then what is it ? Annie, I am sure, is well
and happy : so what can it be ? '
He looked at me long and steadfastly before
he rephed.
' If my lass went away, it mun ha' been
because o' trouble ; and if 'twere trouble, 'twere
a kind that she were feared to tell even to her
awn father. That letter my Annie writ came
from a sore heart — maybe a heart some villain
had broken ; and what I think, lad, other folk
234 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
think too — I ha' seen them wliispering it to
one anawther, and looking at me ! '
Of course I understood liini well enouHi :
for the same tliouglit had often enough been in
my own mind.
' Whatever has happened,' I said, ' be sure
of one thing, — Annie is not to blame ! Uncle,
do you know what I have often suspected ?
My cousin left us only for a little while, because
she wished to be out of George Eed ruth's way.'
' What d'ye mean ? ' he cried, starting, and
trembling violently.
' There was something between them. He
had won her heart, perhaps. Then, distrusting
him, and knowing the great distance between
their stations, she said to herself, "I will go
away for a time till I am cured, or till he
has left the place." '
My uncle frowned thoughtfully, and shook
his head.
BY THE SEA 235
' Kaw, Hugh — there be more ia't than that ;
but, whate'er it be, I'm sure the young master
had no hand in't. I know you never hked 'un,
Hugh ; but Master Jarge has a kind heart, and
would never do a dirty deed. Wliy, I ha'
knawed him and sarved him ever sin' he were
a boy, and I'd trust 'un wi' my own hfe.'
In pity for his trouble, I forbore to tell him
all I knew. Even had I done so, I believe his
simple faith in the ' master ' would have
remained firm.
' It's of summat else I'm thinking, lad.' he
said, after a pause ; ' summat that were tawld
me t'other day by John Eudd. Three or four
days arter Annie went away, John Eudd he
saw her in Falmouth, alawng wi' that Yankee
chap, Johnson, the overseer.'
He noticed my start of surprise, and
continued :
' They were standing talking together on the
23G THE MASTER OP THE MI^'E
qua}^ and Annie were crying. Maybe there's
sumnuit in it, and maybe nawt ; but sin' the niglit
she went, .overseer cliap lias been away — folk
say, in London. Putting this and that tagether,
Hugh, my lad, what do it all mean ? '
I was as puzzled as himself; but I hastened
to assure him of one thing — the utter impossi-
bility of there being any intimate relationship
between my cousin and the pseudo- American.
He looked somewhat incredulous, for in his
simple eyes Johnson was a stylish and import-
ant person, very likely to find favour in the
eyes of a young woman.
He rose wearily, and held out his hand,
' Lea' me to think it out, lad. My mind be
Hxed that summat's wrang, and I shan't sleep
till I knaw the truth, the whole Gospel truth.
I ha' been praying and praying that things be
nawt as I ha' feared, for if any Hving man had
played the villain wi' my Annie, Lawd help
BY THE SEA 237
]iim ! Lawd keep -him from the reach o' my
hands ! '
As I looked into his face, I coukl not help
echoing the praj'cr. I felt certain, at the same
time, that his fears and suspicions had shot
greatly in excess of the truth. I knew that
scandal was busy with poor Annie's name, and
that much of the scandal must have reached his
ears ; but I could not yet bring myself to
believe that Annie's flight betokened any-
thing seriously wrong. Of one thing I felt,
nevertheless, certain — that if wrong had been
done, George Eedruth was in some way
responsible.
I stood and watched my uncle, as he
wandered away in the direction of our home ;
then I turned my face again towards the sea,
and wandered on. As I went, the moor grew
opener and wilder, strewn with great stones
and boulders like fragments of the wreck of
238 THE Jr ASTER OP THE MINE
some past world ; some huge as menhirs trans-
lated thitlicr in some prehistoric period of
wondrous floods — when the arid waste on
which I trod was the oozy bottom of a troubled
sea.
Here and there fed wild cattle, black and
horned, hke those that haunted .the woods of
Ancient Britain. In solitary places the
buzzard hovered, and by the brink of lonely
tarns the heron waded, rising up as I ap-
proached, with sleepy waft of wing.
At last, after a ramble of several miles, I
ap23roached the sea margin. My patli was now
on the stony edge of low-lying cliffs, at the
base of wliich the waters thundered for ever.
Here I found a lonely promontory of black
granite, stretching out into the sea, and
whitened at its limits by the chalky droppino-s
of innumerable sea-birds. On a rocky island a
few yards from the extreme point of the pro-
BY THE SEA 239
montory, sat a flock of cormorants ; as I ap-
proached, they turned their snake-hke necks,
but did not rise.
The sun was warm and bright, the sea cahn
and shimmering hke steel. I threw myself
down on the rocks, and, with face upturned to
the clear skies, closed my eyes. A large black-
winged gull wheeled screaming, over me, and
then sailed slowly aAvay. All I heard was the
low murmur of the billows breaking sadly on
the rocks beneath me — that sound which
' deepens silence,' and has such solemn mean-
ings for the troubled human soul.
Suddenly anotlier sound broke upon my
ear. I started, and listened. The sound
seemed to come from the sea itself, and was
like a mermaid singing. I rose quickly, and,
crossing the rocks, walked in the direction
from which the voice came.
ApproachiDg the edge of the crags, I
240 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
looked down, and saw beneath me, in the very
shadow of the promontory, a quiet creek.
The rocks fell asunder, leaving a space of sandy
beach, some twenty yards broad, and closed
by the still waters of the sea, which broke in a
thin fringe of white foam on a sunny slope of
white pebble and golden sand.
It was a nook just such as the fabled mer-
womcn or sirens might have chosen when the
world w^as haunted, and such fair creations
brightened the sunshine. But what am I
saying? It was haunted still, and by one far
sweeter and more winsome than any mere
creation of a poet's fancy !
Lying like a basking seal on the loose
shingle just under the rocks, and looking up at
me witli sparkling eyes, was the coloured girl
from Demerara ; and standing on the water's
edge, with her face looking seaward, was
Madeline Graham.
241
CHAPTER XVn.
A WALK ACROSS TEE MOOR.
Full of delight at tlie unexpected vision, I ran
down the rocks, and soon leapt down upon the
beach, close to the spot where Anita was lying.
She uttered a merry cry in Spanish, wJiich
caused her mistress to look in my direction.
Madeline exhibited no surprise, but after a
momentary glance, continued her occupation,
that of writing or drawing something on the
sand with the point of her parasol.
I walked towards her, and greeted her by
name. She smiled and nodded, but still con-
tinued intent upon the sand beneath her. I
VOL. I. K
242 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
followed the direction of her eyes, and to my
astonishment read my own name, thus :
Hugh Trelawney, St. Gurlott's.
The hot blood rushed to my cheek ; but
fled again almost immediately, as I read close
by the Avords :
George Eedrutii, Esq.
Both the master's name and my own were
printed large and bold. Close by them,
smaller in size and in running writing, were the
incomplete letters on which she was then
busy —
Madeline Gr
But no sooner had she reached the 'r' than
she glanced up at me, laughed merrily, and
obliterated it all with her little daintily booted
foot,
' What brought you here, Mr. Trelawney ? '
A WALK ACROSS THE MOOR 243
she said. ' I thoiiglit tliat you would have been
at church.'
' I thought the same of you,' I rephed,
smihng,
' Then you did not follow us ? '
' Certainly not ; though had I known, I
might very possibly have done so. But who
could have dreamed of finding you in this
solitary place, so far away from home ? '
'My true home is far away indeed,' she
answered ; and raising her hand, she pointed
right out to sea. ' Yonder ! Sometimes I wish
that, as the Scripture says, I had wings like a
bird that I might fly back ! '
And I saw that her beautiful eyes were dim
with tears.
' Have you relations there ? ' I asked. ' Or
friends whom you love ? '
' Neither friends nor relations. When my
dear father died I was left quite sohtary. But
E 2
244 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
I lived so long tliere, and was so happy ! And
South America is so beautiful, so diflfercut from
this dreary land ! '
I watched her nervously.
' Some day, perhaps, you will return ? '
' Perhaps — I cannot tell,' she replied, sadly,
and turning on her heel, she walked slowly
towards the spot where Anita was lying. The
girl looked up and showed her white teeth,
smiling ; the smile broadened as her mistress
spoke to her rapidly in Portuguese.
' Anita is of my opinion,' said Madeline ;
' she thinks this English climate detestable, and
she longs for the palms and temples of the West.
I suppose I shall have to send her back. The
people think her a wild savage, because she
does not understand their barbarous dialect, and
she will never settle in England.'
I had my own suspicion that Madeline was
laughing at me^ and that Anita's smile had
A WALK ACROSS THE MOOR 245
a quite different meaning ; but I was too happy
in tlie mere presence of my darling to trouble
myself on that head. Merely to stand by her
side, and look into her face, and hear her
musical voice, was joy sufficient ; for never had
she seemed more bright and beautiful. She
w^ore a rich sealskin cloak, tightly fitting, and
descending to her knees ; a pretty sealskin hat
to match ; and the parasol she carried was more
for use as a walking-stick than for a safeguard
ao'ainst the sun. The sea breeze had brouc^ht
the colour to her delicate cheek, and her dark
eyes were unusually light and happy.
For the time being I forgot the social gulf
between us, between her wealth and my poverty,
and talked freely and unrestrainedly of many
things. The old constraint left me, I suppose
to the improvement of my manners, for Made-
line seemed to look at me and listen to me with
unusual interest.
246 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
'And you^' slie said, presently. 'Shall
you remain in this lonely Cornwall all your
life ? '
The question took me by surprise, and Avas
difficult to answer.
' Who can tell ? ' I said. ' I have often
thought of trying my fortune across the ocean,
but habit has kept me chained to a dull place
and a cheerless occupation. Sometimes, do you
know. Miss Graham, I think it is all fatality.
It seems so strange, for example, that I should
have been brought here at all, and that, even in
so unlikely a place, we two should have been
once more thrown together.'
' It is fortunate for me, at any rate, that you
became a Cornishman.'
' How so .P '
' Because, otherwise, I might not have sur-
vived — to thank you for my life ! '
Was it gratitude, or an even tenderer senti-
A WALK ACROSS THE MOOR 247
ment, that filled her eyes with such tender
meaning, and after one long look, made her
blush and turn her head away? I cannot
tell ; but the look made my heart leap, while
a new thrill of rapturous hope trembled through
my veins. I glanced at Anita ; she was bask-
ing again, with closed eyes. Carried beyond
myself by the inspiration of the moment, I took
my darling's hand.
' Miss Graham,' I said ; ' Madeline — may
I call you again by that dear name? — ever
since we parted, years ago, you have been the
one memory of my life ; and when we met
again '
I would have continued impetuously ; but
gently disengaging her hand, she cried,
' Anita ! come, it is time to go home.'
The girl seemed to understand, for she
sprang to her feet and pointed eagerly up the
rocks. For myself, I stood stupefied and
248 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
ashamed ; l)ut turning again to me with a hglit
smile, MadeUne continued :
' Are you returning to tlie village, Mr. Tre-
lawney ? If so, let us walk together.'
Something in her manner convinced me
that I had better encroach no further, but
make the best of my immediate chance of
happiness. So I answered eagerly that I was
at her service, and the next minute I was
piloting her up the rocks. The way was
troublesome, and she often needed and accepted
the help of my hand, thrilling me through and
through with her warm touch.
At last we left the rock -sown promontory
behind us, and stepped out on the open heath.
We two led the way, while Anita followed
behind, so slowly that we were soon left prac-
tically alone.
'How came you to walk so far?' I inquired.
A WALK ACROSS THE MOOR 249
' We are three or four miles, as the crow flies,
from St. Gurlott's.'
'Oh, I came out early, and the sunshine
tempted me on. I did not think that we had
wandered such a distance. Poor Anita will be
tired out.'
' And you ?
' Oh, / love a long walk ! ' she replied,
gaily. 'Even in Demerara I used to wander
for hours and hours in the woods ; and once I
was nearly lost. Night came down suddenly,
and I had to creep into the bole of a great
tree ; and I wasn't frightened, though I could
hear the tiger-cats crying all round me ; for
the fire-flies made it almost as light as day.
But poor papa nearly went out of his mind,
and, after that Avould never let me enter the
woods alone.
' How did they find you ? '
' By beating the woods. There were about
250 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
a hundred coolies carrying torclies, and making
noise enough to wake tlie dead. At last, as
they were passing, I joopped out of my hiding-
place, and cried, quite coolly, "Here I am,
papa ! " lie was terribly angry, but I was soon
forgiven.'
' It would be a hard heart,' I murmured,
tenderly, ' that would not forgive you any-
thin o' ! '
She looked at me merrily, and shook her
head.
' Ah, you don't know me ! Poor papa, if
he were alive, could tell you a different tale.
I was always a spoiled child, Mr. Trelawney.'
Thus lightly talking, and playing with the
merest threads of conversation, to avoid touch-
ing themes of more dangerous interest, we
walked across the moor. Though it was
winter-tide, the air was very close and warm
with sunlight, and Anita lagged more and more
A WALK ACKOSS THE MOOR 251
behind. At last we came in sight of the village,
and paused by the side of the moorland tarn
where I had parted with my uncle. My eyes
were fixed earnestly on Madeline. Suddenly I
saw her start and chano'e colour.
Following the glance of her eyes, I caught
sight of a well-known figure approaching. It
was George Redruth, elegantly dressed, and
carrying a walking-cane.
He came up rapidly, and I saw by the
expression of his face that he was ill-pleased.
He glanced at me angrily and contemptuously,
and then addressed his cousin.
' Where have you been ? ' he cried. ' I
have been looking for you everywhere. Do
you know that it is three o'clock ? '
'I did not know it was so late,' rephed
Madeline, quietly. ' Anita and I went wander-
ing across the moor and down to the seaside,
where we found Mr. Trelawney.'
252 THE MASTER OF THE MLN'E
He looked at me again, and I saw his brow
blacken more and more.
' Luncli was served at half-past one,' he
muttered, ' and my mother has driven over to
afternoon service. I won't trouble Trelawney
any further. Take my arm, and let me see
you nome.'
He spoke with the air of authority habitual
with him. I was not surprised to see Madeline
flush angrily, and decline the proffered arm.
' There is plenty of time for that,' she
exclaimed. ' See ! poor Anita is almost ex-
hausted — it would be a charity to assist Jier ;
it is none to assist me ! '
Indeed, Anita seemed dead beat. She was
seated on a stone, about a hundred yards
behind us, resting her elbows on her knees,
her chin in her hands. Eedruth glanced
towards her and shruijo-ed his shoulders.
CO
' I never go near niggers,' he retorted ;
A WALK ACROSS THE MOOR 253
' can't stand them. Perliaps Trelawney is not
so particular,' he added, with an insufferable
sneer.
Our eyes met, and a sharp retort was on
my tongue, when Madeline broke in, with a
touch of his own cutting manner :
' Anita is not what you so politely call her ;
and as for Mr. Trelawney, he is at least a
gentleman, incapable of making coarse remarks,
even at the expense of a social inferior.'
This eulogium of myself seemed to afford
George Eedruth intense amusement. Possibly
he thouo-ht the w^ord ' £i;entleman ' had an odd
sound applied to a person of my position. I
flushed to the temples, but did not trust myself
to make any observation. Without even look-
ing at Eedruth, I raised my hat to Madeline,
and walked rapidly away.
254 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
CHAPTER XVIIL
I RECEIVE MY CONGE.
Absorbed as I was in my newly-awakened
love for Madeline, I foiled to notice for some
time the changes which were going on about
us ; but I was soon brought from dreamland
by the attitude which the young master chose
to take.
It soon became clear to me that his resent-
ment, from whatever source it sprang, was
levelled against me ; and in a short time I
discovered that the innocent cause of all these
eruptions was Madeline herself.
George Eedruth had made up his mind to
woo Madeline Graham, and he honoured me
I RECEIVE Mr CONGE 255
SO far as to fear that my presence in St.
Gurlott's might be the means of preventing
him winning his cousin's hand. A marriage
with Madeline would be advantageous to
him, principally because his own position was
becoming very insecure, he having gambled
and bet away most of his fortune, and so being
in danger of losing the position which her
money would restore to him. Thus it was
that he watched the growing friendship be-
tween myself and his cousin with ever-increas-
ing anger ; and finding he could not openly
control her, he determined, I afterwards
learned, to gain his ends by treachery.
It was not to these things, however, which
I was able at this time to give my entire
thoughts ; other and more painful matters
occurred which for a time drove the young
master from my mind.
. At home things were going very badly
25G THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
with us. My uncle remained in tlic same de-
sponding state, while every day fresh wrinkles
appeared in my aunt's face — the tears were
often wet upon her cheek. It seemed a sin
for me to be happy while so much grief
remained at home ; and I sometimes felt
inclined to go right away and not return till
I could bring our lost one along with me.
I began to wonder, too, if my uncle could
be right when he said that the new overseer
had a hand in poor Annie's downfall. It was
strange, but since the night of Annie's dis-
appearance Johnson's foce had not been seen
in St. Gurlott's. I was pondering over a
solution of all these mysteries when one day
an event happened which threatened to bring
matters to a climax indeed.
I had come up from the mine after a pro-
longed inspection of it, and stood at the
entrance, blinded with tallow and droppings,
I KECEIYE MY COXGE 257
when suddenly I heard a wild sound of voices,
and turning round I saw two men flicing each
other, and looking as if they were about to
close in a deadly grip. One of the men was
my uncle, the other was Johnson, the overseer.
At sio'ht of the man whom he believed to
be his bitterest foe, all my uncle's feebleness
seemed to fall miraculously from him. He
towered above the other, and raised his
clenched fist as if to strike.
' You villain ! ' he cried. ' You cowardly,
treacherous villain ! Tell me, whar is my lass ?
Tell me, or, by the Lawd, I strike 'ee dead
before mc ! '
In another moment the arm would have
descended, for Johnson was paralysed with
fear ; but I sprang forward and caught it with
a cry. My uncle tried to wrench himself free.
' Let gaw, Hugh ! ' he cried, fiercely. ' I
told 'ee what I'd do if I met the villain, and
VOL. I. S
258 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
I'll do't. Look at 'iiii, the white-faced cur ; he
brought trouble to uiy lass ! And naw, while
she's wanderin' about the earth in misery
maybe, he cooms yar to laugh at what he's
dawn ! '
I still held him firmly ; and Johnson, cur
that he was, seeing that the danger was passed,
recovered his presence of mind.
'Perhaps, now you're a little calmer,' he
said, 'you'll tell me what you're ravmg about?'
' I will answer for him,' I replied. ' Where
is Annie Pendragon ? '
He shrugged his shoulders, and raised his
brows.
' It seems to me you are all raving lunatics
together. Why do you ask me these things?
What do I know of the g-irl ? '
'You are supposed to have enticed her
from her home. You were seen with her in
Palmouth, and you must know where she is.'
I RECEIVE MY COXGE 259
'I don't know where she is. I met her
in Falmouth, it's true, and spoke to her ; but
her being away from home was no concern
o' mine.'
' It's a he ! ' cried my uncle, fiercely ; and
again he tried to free himself from my grasp,
but I held him firmly.
' It's no use,' I said ; ' we shan t mend
matters with him. We must find out by some
other means whether or not he is speaking the
truth.'
The result of all this was a serious illness,
which laid my uncle low, and for some weeks
threatened his life. Durino- this time Madeline
came frequently to the cottage, accompanied by
Anita, who carried little tempting things for
the poor old man to eat. At last the terrible
time passed, and he rose from his bed — the
feeble worn-out wreck of his old self.
From that day forth his intellect seemed
S 2
260 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
shaken, but he clung with strange persistence
to the one idea, that Jolmson was in some way-
responsible for all that had taken place. I had
my own reasons for refusing to share this
belief; nevertheless, I saw the overseer again,
and after the interview with him, I became
more firmly convinced than ever that my uncle
was wrong in his surmises. If Johnson had a
hand in Annie's flight, he was not the real
wrong-doer. I still suspected George Eedruth,
though as yet I had been unable to obtain
absolute proof of his guilt.
Meantime, having seen my uncle on the
high road to recovery, I was compelled once
more to turn my attention to the mine, which
grew every day more dangerous. I had spoken
to the master of these dangers again and again,
and he had taken no heed. So long as he was
safe above ground it was nothing to him that
the lives of the men who worked below were
I KECEIVE MY CONGE 261
in daily jeopardy. Nevertheless, I knew tliat
something must be done ; I resolved to make
one last appeal to him, and if that failed in its
effect to communicate with the members of the
company, who, conjointly with himself, owned
the property. I had fully made up my mind
to see him at home, when I was spared the
pains. He strolled down to the counting-house
one morning in company with Johnson.
' Mr. Eedruth,' I said, approaching him, ' I
should like to speak a few words to you, sir.'
He looked at me from head to foot with a
cold supercilious sneer which sent my blood up
to boiling heat, as he replied :
'Well, you can speak then — I am all
attention.'
I glanced at Johnson, but as that worthy
made no attempt to go I proceeded.
'It's about the mine,' I began, when he
interrupted me.
262 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' Oh, the mine ! ' he said, impatiently ; ' I
think I have heard a good deal on this subject
from you before ? '
'You have, sir; and you have taken no
heed; but the time has passed for all that —
each day the danger grows, and now at any
moment the sea may break in and every soul
be killed ! '
While I had been speaking he had been
engaged in lighting a cigar ; when I had finished
he removed the cigar from his moutli, puffed
out a volume of smoke, which he watched
ascend, and asked quietly :
'Do the men know of the danger which
you say is threatening them ? '
' Most assuredly they do ! '
' And do they refuse to work ? '
'I^o; where would be the use? If they
left the mine they would be thrown out of
employment, and then their families would
I RECEIVE MY COXGE 263
starve. Better for them to hold their own lives
in their hands than to expose their wives and
children to such a fate ! '
' Very good ; then since by your own
showing you are the only discontented spkit,
it's time for you to go ! '
The cool way in which he uttered these
words fairly took aAvay my breath.
' What do you mean ? ' I asked.
' Just what I say,' he returned : ' that from
to-day you may consider yourself dismissed
from the mine, and had better seek elsewhere
for employment. If you are dissatisfied, other
people are not. Mr. Johnson is quite contented
with the state of affairs, and is willing to take
your place.'
Seeing that resistance would be useless, I
accepted my conge Avith as good a grace as
possible, but I was determined not to resign
without freely speaking my mind, so 1 faced
1^04 THE MASTER OF THE WINE
George lledrutli firmly and said, ])laciiig my
hand upon his arm just as he was turning away :
' I have been expecting this for a long time,
and it has come. Well, so much the better. I
warn you, however, that I shall do my duty,
and let the company know the exact state of
affairs.'
He turned to Johnson, and I saw the two
exchange a significant smile ; then his face
hardened as he replied, contemptuously :
' You will, of course, do as you })lease ;
only obhge me by getting out of my employ-
ment as quickly as possible.'
' It will be a good riddance ! ' muttered
Johnson, breaking in for the first time. ' Tre-
lawney has always been a croaker.'
The fellow's insolent leer provoked me far
more than his master's sang-froid.
'I'll croak to some tune,' I cried, facing
him, ' if you presume to talk to me ! '
I RECEIVE MY CONGE 2G5
' Presume, indeed ! ' lie repeated, turning
white with fear or mahce. ' 'Taint much pre-
sumption, I guess, to take down a young cock-
o'-the-walk who puts on airs as if he was a
gentleman. If Mr. George had listened to my
advice, he'd have got rid of you long ago ! '
' Come along, Johnson,' said Eedruth ; ' he's
not worth talking to.'
But I clenched my fists and blocked tlie
way, I suppose there was something in my
face which looked ugly, for the two men
recoiled before me. Several of the miners,
attracted by our high words, had now gathered,
and were looking on in astonishment.
' I know well an honest man is not wanted
here,' I said. 'I've known that for many a
long day. Like master, like man. You, sir,
want a scoundrel to do your dirty work ; and
here he is, ready made, to your hand — as mean
and cowardly a scoundrel as ever drew breath.'
266 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' Out of the way, joii ruffian ! ' cried
Eedrutli, lifting his cane.
But he knew better than to strike me ; he
knew that, if he had done so, I would have
thrashed him witliiu an inch of his life ; and he
knew too that not one man there would have
raised a finger to protect him, though he was
the master of the mine.
But the presence of the onlookers, I suppose,
made his companion foolhardy ; for stepping
forward, livid with passion, he shook liis fist in
my face.
' Who are you calling a scoundrel ? ' he
cried, ' Do you know who I am ? I'm over-
seer of this here mine, and you, you're a
beggar, that's what you are ! Why, darn you !
I could eat you up and spit you out, and
twenty more hke you ! '
He had proceeded thus far, garnishing his
address with innumerable expletives, which
I EECEIVE MY COXGE 267
will uot bear transcription, when, without more
parley, unable to resist the provocation of his
close proximity, I quietly knocked him down.
As he fell, George Eedruth sprang towards
me, and struck at me with his cane ; but I tore
the cane from his hand, broke it into pieces,
and flung it away.
' Take care, sir ! ' I said, ' I may hurt you
too, if you go too far.'
He drew back trembling.
' You shall smart for this, Trelawney !
Before the day is out you shall lie in jail ! '
' You know where to find me,' I answered ;
and then, without another word, I walked
away.
It Avas not for hours afterwards that I
reahsed what I had done ; and even then I
am afraid I did not regret my hasty conduct.
Youno; and rash, I did not fear to face the
world, though the mine was my bread, and I
2G8 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
had no other means of maintenance. As for
Eedruth's threat of invoking the law against
me, nothing came of it. Doubtless, as his own
sacred person had not suffered, he tliought it
best to hold his tongue.
269
' CHAPTER XIX.
THE NEW OVERSEER.
The news of my dismissal from tlie mine was
received by my anut with infinite wailing.
The poor sonl, knowing that for some time
past I had been the mainstay of the house, saw
nothing before her but misery and starvation ;
indeed, she w^as for going straight to Eedruth
House and appeahng to the master, but I
cliecked her.
' Don't grieve, aunt,' I said. ' It will all
be right, by-and-by. Say I am dismissed from
the mine — what then? The mine isn't all the
world. I shall get something, never fear.'
But my aunt shook her liead.
270 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
'It be like young folk to make light o'
tilings. When yoii'm a bit awlder, Hugh,
you'll see things as I do — trouble ahead. 'Tis
vary easy to talk, but what is there in the
villao-e but the mine ? '
' But I'm going up to London, aunt.'
'To Lunnon! Lawd save the lad! — and
what for should 'un o-aw to Lunnon ? '
' I am going up to see the company, and
tell them what's going on at the mine. Keep
your mind easy till I come back, aunt. 'Twill,
maybe, all be right then.'
But my aunt continued to cry quietly, and
grieved as bitterly as if she knew of the dark
clouds which were gathering above.
As for my uncle, he sat and listened, and
made no remark whatever. I concluded he
did not understand, so I made no attempt to
trouble him at all.
There was no time to be lost, and as soon.
THE NEW OYERSEER 271
therefore, as I had finished my task of comfort-
ing my aunt, I began to turn over in my mind
what it would be best for me to do. I was as
fully conscious of the gravity of the situation
as my aunt herself, though I had thought fit
to make hght of it in order to lessen her pain.
To be turned from the mine meant facino: star-
vation — unless I could find a similar situation
to the one I had lost ; the only way to facili-
tate this being to see the company, Avho might
consent to place me over some other mine.
Besides, it was necessary that I should see them
and plead the cause of the wretched creatures
who daily faced death at George Eedruth's
coinmand.
Having fully made up my mind that the
journey must be taken, I resolved to start on
the following morning, and began making my
preparations accordingly.
During the years that I had been overseer
272 THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
of the mine my salary had not been large, but I
had been able to put by a small sum weekly.
My first care was to break into this, to put into
my pocket-book sufficient for my journey, and
give a sum to my aunt.
' Don't be afraid to use it,' I said ; ' there is
more yet ; and before it's all gone I'll have
work, please God ! '
My hopefulness, somehow, soon infected
my aunt, and she set about putting my things
together with a bric^hter face. She dried her
tears, and talked quite cheerfully of my going.
' They do say,' she said, ' that averything's
for the best, and maybe 'tis saw naw, though
us can't just see it. Mayhap you'll meet our
Annie in London and bring her back to us,
Hugh.'
' It's more than likely,' I returned. ' Our
black cloud won't last for ever, the silver lining
must be comiu" round.'
THE NEW OVERSEER 273
When all was ready, I stepped down to the
village to tell John Eudd to call for me on
the morrow, when he was to start before day-
break. Havmg done my errand, I ht my pipe
and strolled slowly back to the cottage.
It was a splendid night. All the earth,
hardened by the keen touch of frost, was
flooded by the brilliant moon-rays ; and the sky
was thick with stars. All was so quiet and
peaceful, I could hear the click-clack of my
footsteps on the frosty road.
My mind was sorely troubled ; I walked up
and down the road until my pipe was finished,
then I knocked out the burnt ashes upon the
ground and turned to re-enter the cottage,
when I started back with a half-suppressed cry.
There, not very far from me, standing in the
shadow of one of the laurel-bushes in Annie's
garden, was the tall figure of a woman. She
VOL.1. • T
274 THE JSIASTER OF THE MINE
came quickly towards me, and laid lier hand
upon my arm.
' Madeline ! ' I murmured, for it was indeed
she, dressed in her evening dress, with her
mantle thrown lightly over her head and
shoulders, and her dear face raised wistfully
to mine.
' Mr. Trelawney,' she said, quietly, ' is it
true that you have been dismissed from the
mine ? '
' Yes ; it is quite true, Miss Graham.'
' Oh, why will you not be as you were just
now, and call me Madeline,' she cried, pas-
sionately. ' Why have all those years come
and gone since we were children, and left us
so far apart, Mr. Trelawney? Hugh, let us be
children again! I was your help and solace
once, let me be so to-night ! '
She had spoken truly — why should a few
years separate us ? Once before she had
THE NEW OVERSEER 275
offered me lier friendship and I had accepted it :
why not accept it now ? I took her hand and
kissed it.
' You shall be the same to me now as you
were then ! ' I answered, ' you shall be my
friend ! '
I think she understood me. She made no
reply, but for a moment she turned her head
aside ; when she looked at me again, she was
as calm as the moon-rays which lay all about
her.
* Tell me what has happened,' she said,
' and what you are going to do.'
' Very little has happened,' I replied. ' I
have got the dismissal which I have all along
expected, and I am going away.'
' Mr. Trelawney, it was more than sympathy
which broudit me here to-ni2:ht. I want to
ask you a question.'
' Yes ? '
T 2
27 G THE MASTER OF THE MINE
' If my cousin ofTers you the post again, will
you take it ? '
I saw in a moment wliat slie meant : that
she would intercede for me; that the fact of
my being reinstated w^ould give that villain
George Eedruth a stronger hold over her ; so I
answered, firmly :
' No ; the situation will not be offered to
me, and if it w\as, I should refuse it.'
' Your uncle and aunt are dependent upon
you, are they not ? '
' Not entirely. My uncle is sufficiently re-
covered now to resume his w^ork. For the last
week he has been employed at the mouth of
the mine. If my sins are not visited upon his
head, and he is allowed to remain, they will do
very well. As for myself, I am young and
strong ; there is no fear for me.'
She made no answer ; and I, looking at
THE XEW OVERSEER 277
lier, noticed, for the first time, liow tliiiily slie
was clad.
'Madeline,' I said, 'you will get your
death ; let me take you back.'
I drew the shawl closer about her shoulders,
put her hand upon my arm, and led her away,
' Hugh,' she said, presently, ' you have not
told me the cause of all this trouble. Why
have you and my cousin disagreed so terribly ? '
The very flxct that he was her cousin sealed
my lips.
' There is nothing,' I said, ' but what had
best be kept between man and man.'
' Then you absolutely refuse to make any
concession ? '
' I refuse to receive any favour from George
Eedruth.'
' Or from me ? '
' From you, Madeline ? '
' Yes. I am rich, you know — very rich,
278 THE MASTER OF THE MIXE
and now that you are in trouble I miglit help
you.'
'No,' I answered, quickly; 'don't think of
it. It is impossible.'
' Impossible ? ' she replied ; ' the word friend-
ship to you means nothing.'
' It means that you may give me your sym-
pathy. I am grateful for that, but I cannot
accept money from you.'
I walked with her as far as the entrance to
the grounds surrounding Eedruth House, then I
left her.
Her eyes w^ere full of tears, as she said
good-bye, and her little hand clung to mine
with a persistence which well-nigh unmanned
me. I was too much beside myself to return
to the cottage, so for about half a mile I
followed the road wliich led to the mine. It
was late, there was not a living soul abroad it
seemed to -me ; yet, as I turned to retrace my
THE NEW OVERSEER 279
steps, I came face to face with a man who had
evidently been following close upon my heels.
It was Johnson.
Madeline's softening influence was still upon
me. Yet at sight of this evil face it seemed to
fade, and there arose within me all that was
worst in my soul. He paused, blocking my
way, and sneeringly addressed me :
' I guess, young man,' he said, ' you'll get
into worse trouble before you're done. Jest
you let the governor see you as I saw you with
Miss Graham to-night ! '
The mention of her name by his foul lips
roused me to frenzy.
' You scoundrel ! ' I cried, ' mention that
lady's name again and by Heaven I'll strike
you dead where you stand ! '
' Oh,' he sneered, ' killing's your game, is
it ? Eepeat that to-morrow before witnesses,
young man, and your doom's sealed.'
280 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
He passed me by, and walked on towards
the mine, wliile I, glad at heart to be safely
away from him, walked with some speed
tovwirds home.
I found my aunt alone; I asked for my
uncle.
' He be gone back to tlie mine, Hugh,' she
returned. ' But dawn't 'ee sit up for 'un, lad.
I daresay Jim Elvers '11 bring 'un hame.'
As I knew I should have to be ready to
join John Eudd at five o'clock in the morning,
I took my aunt's advice and went to bed ; and
so soundly did I sleep, that I heard nothing
whatever of my uncle's return.
When I awoke it was still pitch dark. I
struck a light, and found that it was four o'clock.
I therefore got up and began to prepare for my
journey.
I went about my work as quietly as pos-
sible, hoping to disturb no one ; but shortly
THE NEW OVEKSEER 281
after I entered the kitchen, my uncle appeared
fidly dressed for the day. He looked so white
and strange that, for a moment, I was startled
into the belief that something was the matter.
As nothing seemed to have transpired, however,
I concluded it was sorrow at parting with me.
My God, how the memory of that white
wan face came back to me in after days ! It
was the memory of it, and of the patient, pitiful
eyes, which sealed my lips when one word
might have proved my salvation.
When John Eudd made his appearance,
and my aunt came out of the bedroom, and
began crying on my shoulder, I saw the wan,
sad eyes of my uncle still fixed upon me. As
I left the cottage, I looked back and found them
gazing after me still.
282 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
CHAPTER XX.
IN LONDON.
On reaching London, I secured a room in a
small coffee-lioiise in Soho ; and, having
deposited my luggage, I started off at once to
the offices of the mining company. It was
three o'clock, and I counted I might just arrive
before they closed.
I was astonished, on arriving at my destina-
tion, to find that the ' ofiices ' consisted only of
a couple of grimy rooms in a side street off
Chancery Lane. I was received by a dilapidated
and somewhat dirty old clerk, who was crouched
upon a high stool and scribbhng away at a desk.
He informed me that the head of the firm was
IX LONDON 283
at tliat moment in his room, I was taken to
Mm, and made haste to state my case.
I soon found that my presence there was
comparatively useless. Like master, like man,
they say, and certainly George Eedruth, in
forming a company to conduct the mine, had
been careful to select men whose views accorded
with his own ; besides, my character had pre-
ceded me ; they had been forewarned of my
visit, and to all my complaints they had noth-
ing to say.
Sick at heart I left the place, and walked
slowly back towards Charing Cross. What my
next move would be I did not know. It
was certain I could do nothing for the Cornish
miners ; and since they could not starve, they
must be left to trudge on with that grim
skeleton Death for ever by their side !
Pondering thus, I made my way slowly
along the crowded sreets, gazing abstractedly
284: Tllli: MASTER OF THE MIXE
at the sea of faces surroimding me. It was
Saturday afternoon, and the Strand was
thronged. The lium of the busy crowd dis-
tracted me. I turned, intending to pass down
one of the side streets and gain the Embank-
ment, when suddenly I stepped face to face
with a woman who was coming towards me,
and uttered a cry.
It was my cousin Annie !
But so changed was she that I scarcely
knew her. She was dressed as a lady, and
looked like one ; but her face was pale, her
eyes looked troubled and sad. She must have
been walking quickly, for as I turned to face
her she almost fell into my arms.
The cry I gave attracted her ; she looked
into my face, and knew me.
She paused, uncertain what to do. My
sudden appearance there, of all places on the
earth, was so unexpected, that it completely
IX LONDON 285
unnerved her. For a moment slie seemed
about to fJy ; then, conquering herself, she
stood lier ground.
' Hugh ! ' she exclaimed. ' You here ! '
' Yes ! ' I answered, sternly enough. ' I
am here ! '
I felt no joy in meeting her. Had she
come to me poor, des])ised, with the taint of sin
upon her, I should have taken her in my arms,
and said, ' You poor repentant child, come
home ; ' but when she stood before me in
her fine raiment, my heart hardened ; for 1
thought of the heart-broken old people whom
she had left.
My appearance must have been strange, for
I beiran to attract some attention, when Annie
took me by the arm and led me down the side-
street I had intended to take. We passed on,
never uttering a word, until we came to the
286 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
Embankment. Then she let go my arm and
spoke.
' Hugh ! ' she said, ' did you come to
London to look for me ? '
'No. I came on other business, but 1
promised to seek you and take you back.'
She was still white as death and tremblincr
violently. As I uttered these words, she
shook her head, and her eyes filled with
tears.
' I cannot go home, Hugh ; not yet,' she
said, sadly.
' Not yet ? ' I repeated. ' Will it ever be
better for you than it is now ? '
' Yes, Hugh ; and soon, I hope, I shall be
able to sfo and cause them no trouble.'
I shrugged my shoulders and half turned
away, when she laid her hand upon my arm
again and said :
' Hugh, dear Hugh ! you have never once
IN LONDON 287
taken my hand ; you have not looked at me as
you would have done some months ago. You
think I have brought shame upon you all ;
but, indeed, it is not so bad as that — I am a
laAvful wife.'
' A lawful wife ? Whose wife ? '
' Ah ! do not ask me that. I cannot tell
you. But I am a wife ; and some day, very
soon, I shall be acknowledged. Hugh, will
you not take my hand, and say that you forgive
me?'
' I have nothing to forgive,' I replied.
' You did me no wrong ; but you ruined the
happiness of your home, and you have broken
your father's heart.'
' Hugh ! '
' It is as well for you to hear it, Annie,' I
continued. ' When yoin- flight was discovered,
your father bore it bravely, we thought ; but
it seems he hid the worst of his trouble from
288 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
US, and pined in secret. It has been like a
cankerworni gnawing at liis heart ; and now he
is weak and feeble, like a weary, worn old man ! '
I ceased, for Annie had turned away and
was crying piteoiisly. I went to her, and took
her hand.
' Annie,' I said, ' tell me the name of the
man who has been the author of all this trouble,
and I will ask no more.'
She shook her head.
' I cannot tell you, Hugh. Why should you
wish to know ? I tell you I am his wife.'
' If you arc his wife, where is the need of
all this secrecy ? '
' There are reasons why he cannot acknow-
ledge me just now ; therefore, I have made a
solemn vow never to tell his name until he
gives me permission. Is it not enough for you
to know that I have not disgraced you, and
that I am happy ? '
IN LONDON 289
She certainly did not look happy. Her
pale, pained face, which was turned to mine,
seemed to give the lie to every word she
spoke.
' Will you tell them at home,' she said,
' that you found me well, and that they must
not grieve ; because some day soon I shall
come back to them ? '
' Where are you living now? ' I asked.
' Close by here,' she replied, quickly. ' I
was on my way home when I met you. Will
you come with me, Hugh ? I will show you
the rooms.'
I assented ; and she led the way back to-
wards the Strand. She walked quickly, and
paused before a house in Craven Street. Enter-
ing with a latch-key which she carried, she
passed up a flight of stairs, and entered a
room.
' This is where I live, Hugh,' she said.
VOL. I. U
290 THE MASTER OF THE MINE
It was a change indeed from the Cornisli
kitchen in which she liad lived all her life.
The room was one which I could imagine
Madeline occupying, but which was singularly
out of place when coupled with Annie !
Having looked about me, I prepared to
leave.
' Where are you going, Hugh ? ' she asked.
' Home ? '
' I don't know,' I answered.
' Shall I see you again ? '
' That I don't know. Since you say you
are well cared for and happy, where is the use
of troubling you ? Some day, perhaps, when
your sun begins to set, you'll find your way
back to those who loved you long before this
villain crossed your path ! '
I opened the door, stepped across the
threshold, and faced two strange men.
IN LONDON 291
A lianci was laid upon my shoulder, and a
Yoice said :
' Stop, young man ! We want you for
Murder ! '
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
S, & H,
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