"Come to me when you want to know aught more," he said, as he shook hands with his visitor. "Get hold of this firm I've told you about, and make your own arrangements with 'em, and let 'em get on with the sinking. With your capital, and the results o' that boring, you ought to do well--so long as naught happens." Jeckie started, and gave Revis a sharp, inquiring look. "What--what could happen?" she asked. "Well, my lass, there's always the chance of two things," answered Revis, becoming more serious than he had been at any time during the interview. "Water for one; sand for the other. In these north-country coal-fields of ours, water-logged sand has always been a danger. But--you'll have to take your chance: I had to take mine! None of us 'ud ever do aught i' this world if we didn't face a bit o' risk, you know." But Jeckie lingered, looking at him with some doubt in her keen eyes. "Did you have any trouble yourself in that way?" she asked. "Aye!" answered Revis, with a grim smile. "We came to a bed of quicksand--a thinnish one, to be sure, but it was there. Two thousand gallons o' water a minute came out o' that, my lass!" "What did you have to do?" inquired Jeckie. "All that water!" "Had to tub it with heavy cast-iron plates," replied Revis. "But you'll not understand all these details. Leave things to this firm I've told you about; you can depend on them." All the way from Heronshawe Main to Sicaster, Jeckie Farnish revolved Revis's last words. Water!--sand! Supposing all her money--she gave no thought to Lucilla Grice's money--were swept away once for all by water, or swallowed up for ever in sand? That would indeed be a fine end to her ventures! But still, Revis had met with and surmounted these difficulties; no, she meant to go on. And she had saved a lot of money that morning by getting valuable advice and information from Revis for nothing--nothing at all--and she meant to get out of paying something else, too, before night came, and with that interesting design in her mind, she drove up to Palethorpe and Overthwaite's office, and went in, and laid before Palethorpe, whom she found alone, the charges sent in to her the day before by Mortimer and his friend Farebrother. Palethorpe, whose keenness had not grown less as he had grown older, elevated his eyebrows, and pursed his lips, when he glanced at the amounts to which Jeckie pointed. "Whew!" he said. "These are pretty stiff charges, Miss Farnish!" "Worse nor what yours are!" said Jeckie, showing a little sarcastic humour. "And they're bad enough sometimes." "Strictly according to etiquette, ma'am!" replied Palethorpe, with a sly smile. "Strictly regular. But there----" "Aye, there!" exclaimed Jeckie. "All that brass for just hearing them two talk a bit, and for seeing 'em stand about watching other fellers work! And I want to know how I can get out o' paying it?" Palethorpe put his fingers together and got into the attitude of consultation.