"Well, well, we shall have time to talk about that: when can you start?" "Give me three days." "All right." "You won't keep me there long after I have done this wicked thing?" "No, no. I will send you home with flying colors, and you shall have your share of the plunder." "I'd rather go into service again and work my fingers to the bone." "Since you have such a contempt for money, perhaps you'll stand fifty pounds?" "I have no money with me, but I'll ask Mr. Middleton to advance me some." She opened the door, and asked one of the clerks if she could see the principal for a moment. He came to her directly. She then said to him, "He wants fifty pounds; could you let me have it for him?" "Oh," said the lawyer, cheerfully, "I shall be happy to lend Mr. Monckton fifty or a hundred pounds upon his own note of hand." They both stared at him a little; but a blank note of hand was immediately produced, drawn and signed at six months' date for £52 10s., and the lawyer gave Monckton his check for £50. Husband and wife then parted for a time. Monckton telegraphed to his lodgings to say that his sister would come down with him for country air, and would require good accommodation, but would pay liberally. In most mining accidents the shafts are clear, and the débris that has to be picked through to get to the entombed miners is attacked with this advantage, that a great number of men have room to use their arms and pickaxes, and the stuff has not to be sent up to the surface. But in this horrible accident both gangs of workers were confined to a small area and small cages, and the stuff had to be sent up to the surface. Bartley, who seemed to live only to rescue the sufferers by his own fault, provided miles of rope, and had small cages knocked together, so that the débris was continually coming up from both the shafts, and one great source of delay was averted. But the other fatal cause of delay remained, and so daylight came and went, and the stars appeared and disappeared with incredible rapidity to poor Walter and the other gallant workers, before they got within thirty feet of the pit: those who worked in the old shafts, having looser stuff to deal with, gained an advance of about seven feet upon the other working party, and this being reported to Walter he went down the other shaft to inspire the men by words and example. He had not been down two hours when one of the miners cried, "Hold hard, they are working up to us," and work was instantly suspended for a moment. Then sure enough the sounds of pickaxes working below were just audible.