He hurried away, and Rhoda ran to the window to see him pass; while Mr Penwynn picked up the piece of tin ore, balanced it in his hands, and, recalling certain rumours of tricks that had been played upon mine-owners, he said to himself,-- "Suppose he should play me false?" And directly after, when he saw Rhoda's hand waved to Trethick, as he glanced back,-- "Suppose he should play her false?" for certain other rumours came to his mind. "Poor girl, it would break her heart." Just then, bright, flushed, and animated, Rhoda turned to him. "No," he said to himself, "she has too much pride." CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR. A BARGAIN. "What?" roared Tregenna, furiously. "It'll turn out the richest mine in Cornwall, sir." "You're a fool! Absurd! Ridiculous!" cried Tregenna, biting his nails, and then making his teeth grit together as he glared at the rough miner before him. "Dessay I be," said the man, surlily; "but I've been at work in the gallery all day, and I never see such tin ore before." "And I've let this go for a paltry few hundreds--a thousand or two at most," muttered Tregenna. "But it can't be true. Are you sure?" he said aloud. "Sure enough, sir, and I thought you'd like to know. I didn't expect to be called a fool for my pains." "No, no, of course not, Lannoe," said Tregenna, hurriedly. "I was put out. I've heard the gossip all day, but I thought it exaggerated. I'm glad you've come." "Oh, there's no 'zaggeration 'bout it," said the man. "I've kept an eye on it all ever since the mine was dried, just as you wished, and they was getting nothing but rubbish, till Amos Pengelly, who was always picking about, hit upon this vein." "Damn Amos Pengelly!" cried Tregenna, savagely. "To which I says `Amen,'" said the miner. "Then the place will turn out immensely rich, and that fellow Trethick will make quite a fortune." "Iss, sir, that's so," said the miner. "Master Penwynn and young miss come down in the cage to-night to see it, and young miss took hold of a pick that Master Trethick held for her, and chipped off a bit or two, and there was a lot of smiling atween 'em." Tregenna's face turned ghastly white, and he changed his position so that the man should not see it; but the miner was keen enough to read him, and he went on, evidently glorying in the torture he was inflicting. "Master Trethick took 'em back to the cage, and helped young miss in again, and went up with them, and him and Master Penwynn seemed wonderful thick together." Tregenna's face was ashy now, and he made a motion with one hand for the man to desist, but he went on. "It do seem hard, sir," he said, "when, after planting the mine on to Master Penwynn, believing it would half ruin him and do for that there Trethick, it should turn out all t'other way." "How did you know I had any such thoughts?" cried Tregenna, fiercely.