’We allow him to sleep in one of the linneys, and he is given broken meat once a day. He has fallen into bad ways of late. Ophir injured him as much as it injured his superiors, only in a different way. He learned from the workmen to drink, and now he loafs about the country trying to get something given him by inconsiderate persons to keep his throat wet. He is at Upaver a good deal; there the miners make game of him, and treat him. He has taken to smoking. I have threatened that if he carries his pipe into the shippon, I shall refuse him the linney as a bedroom, and he will have to return to the Giant’s Table.’ ’I am glad that he and his daughter are parted.’ ’There was no chance for her as long as she remained under his thraldom. Fortunately she had set her head on going for two months to a place called Coombow, and that opened the way to her leaving Grizzly altogether. He is a hopeless savage. We did believe at one time that he was capable of improvement. He worked hard on his patch of land. But Ophir diverted him from the upward path, and since then he has been going down hill nearly as fast as his barrel when it broke from its tether.’ ’Well, John,’ said Mr. Battishill, ’I must not let Cicely engross you. Come and talk to me. I will tell you what we have been doing at Upaver. We have got the leat cut, and the wheel and crushers in place, and a smelting house run up. I have not been able to go there myself, but the foreman, a very worthy, sensible fellow, comes up every other day and reports progress. I have seen to the accounts as you desired; but I am not what I was. My head has become confused, and I have had to ask Cicely to help me out with the accounts. I hope you will not find them in a great muddle, but I was never very precise, and ladies do not understand the difference between debit and credit sides of a balance sheet. The table of work is left with me, and I pretend to look it over, but have not the means of verifying it. I do not think much has come out of the mine yet. I cannot say the profits are large. Indeed, the credit side of the book is blank.’ ’I do not expect anything yet. I am content that the machinery should be in place and in working order. Now I am here, we will attack the lode.’ ’There is the rub, John; the machinery is up, but not in working order, the leat is cut, but the water won’t run along it.’ ’That will soon be rectified, and then the profits will come in freely.’ ’I hope so, John.’ ’I am sure of it, sir. Do not you lose heart.’ ’I have made such a failure of life, John, that I have ceased to be sanguine. I can see nothing in the retrospect but blunders and losses.’ ’No, sir, you have made mistakes, but all must do that before reaching success. Upaver was your own discovery.’ ’That is true, very true. I think we will christen this mine Wheal Battishill.’ ’Do you not think Wheal Cicely would sound better?’ asked John Herring.