"Oh, yes! of course," replied Geoffrey, whose eyes wandered over the pitiable picture before him. "I shall come again." "I'm so anxious to get up a connection, sir," continued the invalid, "and Gwennas Cove is rather out of the way." "I should think it is--rather!" said Geoffrey to himself, and he could hardly refrain from smiling at the poor woman's idea of getting up a connection in that wild spot. "Yes, Bess, take the money. Thank you kindly, sir. Good-day, sir; good-day;" and the invalid began to carefully turn the airing garment upon her knees, though there was no more dampness in it than in one of the red-hot pieces of wood over which she hung. Geoffrey felt disposed to stay, but his time was short, and, after a cheery "good-day," he strode out, followed by the girl, to find that the rugged-looking old man was gone, patch and all; but the girl hurried on before him for a few yards, as if to be out of hearing at the cottage, and then held out her hand. "What? Good-by!" said Geoffrey, smiling, and he held out his own. "No, no, nonsense," said the girl, flushing. "Give me the sweeties, and take your money back." "Then you carry that on to please the old lady, eh?" said Geoffrey. "Yes, of course," replied the girl, sharply. "Didn't you know?" "Not I; but I guessed as much." "Mother's been ill these twenty years, and has to be carried to her bed. She thinks she's a burthen, so we do it to humour her." "I thought as much." "Then why don't you take your money?" said a hoarse, rough voice, that chased away all the sentiment of the affair, and Geoffrey started round to see that the fierce-looking old man was leaning over a block of granite, his arms crossed, and his chin resting upon them. "Take your money and go." "No," said Geoffrey, in his off-hand way. "No: thanks. I want the sweets for the children." "Yours?" said the old fellow, roughly. "Mine? Hang it, man; no." Geoffrey turned to the girl, and looked at her, laughing merrily; but this seemed to irritate the old man, who came fiercely from behind the granite block, thrusting his hands far down into his pockets, and scowling angrily. "Look here, young man," he said, hoarsely, "you're a stranger here, and don't know us." "Not yet," said Geoffrey, "but I dare say I soon shall." "Take your money, and don't come again," said the old man, hoarsely. "You are a nice, pleasant-spoken old gentleman," said Geoffrey, nonchalantly, as he coolly opened the paper bag, and took out one of the sticks of candy. "Have a sweet?" The man uttered a fierce growl that sounded like an oath, and took a step forward in a menacing way, but the girl sprang forward, and threw her arm across his chest. "D'yer want me to hurl you off the rocks?" he said savagely. "Be quiet, father," cried the girl. "The gentleman means no harm."