And he looked up into his friend’s handsome face with amused curiosity. Did Rees really believe in his own integrity still? CHAPTER IX. The rain continued to fall in torrents all day long after Rees Pennant’s discovery of the mysterious drain. He took Sep Jocelyn home with him, and they waited in fiery impatience for the evening, unable to settle to any occupation or amusement but that of speculating on the marvels they might find. Godwin was away; Hervey was reading in his own room; Deborah was, if the truth must be known, cooking in the kitchen before dinner, brushing Rees’s macintosh afterwards. The only person, therefore, who interfered with their excited _tête à tête_ was Mrs. Pennant, who noticed her darling son’s restlessness, and was curious as to the cause. “Well, my little mother,” said Rees, throwing his arms around her and giving her a more affectionate hug than he had bestowed upon her of late, “and supposing I tell you that I see a prospect of helping you, of doing more for you than either Godwin the grumpy or Hervey the heroic! What would you say then, mother?” “My dear boy, I should only say that you were doing what I always expected of you,” said she, too much delighted by this welcome change in his manner towards her to be very curious as to the precise meaning of these large promises. “And without becoming any man’s servant, either,” continued Rees, whose strong point was not prudence. Sep twitched his friend’s sleeve warningly unseen by Mrs. Pennant. “Rees only means,” he put in with his quiet little mincing voice, “that he thinks he has a chance of a berth in London at a good salary.” “Yes, yes; in London, that’s it,” assented Rees quickly. “In London,” cried Mrs. Pennant. “Oh, I should like to live in London again; nothing would please me better.” Rees and Sep both grew suddenly subdued and reticent. “I--I don’t know whether that could be managed, mother dear, until my position was more secure. You see I--I--in fact, I’m not sure at all about it yet, you know.” “I don’t want to force your confidence, my son, since I see there is some little surprise intended for me. But if it is any situation which depends on talent and a good appearance,” she went on proudly, “I have no fear for you.” Rees turned the subject in a tremulous voice. He loved his mother, and thought of her continually throughout this enterprise, now congratulating himself that he might be able to support her in the comfort and luxury which he considered to be the only suitable surrounding for her, now trying to stifle the knowledge that she would look upon this secret search with the most violent disapproval. So he took Sep off to the stable-yard to hunt for a second spade, a piece of rope, and for an old lantern which Rees knew to be lying about there. They found it, rubbed it up, and put a piece of candle in it. Unfortunately, one of the glass sides was broken, but they thought that this would not matter.