He went on muttering more and more angrily to himself, and the figure that watched limped out to follow; but on seeing Tregenna encounter the rugged old man, Bessie's father, and enter into conversation, he calmly limped away along the path. "The old man will take care of her," he muttered; "and I don't believe that Bess would listen to him even if she won't listen to me. But he's a bad one--one as wouldn't stop at any thing to have his will, and I don't know as I'd feel very comfortable if I was him as stood in his way." CHAPTER SIXTEEN. AMONGST THE ROCKS. Geoffrey Trethick found that his were very pleasant quarters at the cottage, for Mrs Mullion seemed to take quite a motherly interest in his welfare, while her daughter Madge formed an excellent lieutenant, having evidently been won over by the young man's frank, pleasant ways as much as by his looks. "If there is any thing I can do to make you more comfortable, Mr Trethick, I hope you'll say so," said Mrs Mullion, one morning as Geoffrey was just going out. "Both Madge and I have got so used to waiting on gentlemen that it comes quite natural to us." "I'm sure you are very kind," said Geoffrey. "Buttons on and darning, and that sort of thing, of course, we'll see to. I used to do all that for our late clergyman, Mr Owen--a very nice, genuine man. He used to put me so in mind of poor Madge's father. Ah!" she continued, sadly, "very different he was to his brother, Mr Paul--half-brothers, you know. Dear Edward never spoke like Thomas--Mr Paul--does. I don't say but what he would be out of temper sometimes, all gentlemen will be, but he used to say his bad words inside like, so that you could not hear them." "A very good plan," said Geoffrey, smiling. "Thomas--Mr Paul, you know--says very strange things sometimes, but he means well, and he is a very, very good man." "Yes, so I believe," replied Geoffrey. "Our Mr Owen, too, was a very good man, and they were great friends. I liked him better than this Mr Lee. I went to hear him on Sunday, but I could not really make out what he meant, but I've no doubt he meant well." "Yes, of course," said Geoffrey, "most clergymen do." "To be sure," assented the amiable little woman. "Have you seen the Rumseys yet?" "I've met the doctor," replied Geoffrey. "A very clever man," said Mrs Mullion, "and his wife means well, but she drills the children so. She's very proud, and thinks they have come down; but, as I say to my Madge, if she would not drill those poor children quite so much, and use a pocket-handkerchief to their noses, it would be so much better. Yes, Madge, I'm coming directly." Geoffrey wished she would go, for he wanted to write a letter; but the little lady kept prattling on.