"But why should I trouble about it?" she said, merrily; and all thought of what had been said was chased away upon her seeing the object of her thoughts upon the cliff track, in company with the Reverend Edward Lee. Meanwhile Bess Prawle had gone out, knitting in hand, to where her father was busy in his garden, and stood beside him for some time in silence, till he looked and saw her gazing at him, with a settled frown upon her face. "Well, father," she said rather huskily. "Well, lass." "Do you think now that Mr Trethick comes over to see poor me?" CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. MEETING A VOLCANO--AND A PLACID LAKE. Geoffrey came swinging along the path, with his head thrown back and his chest forward, smiling at something that crossed his mind, when he stopped short, for Amos Pengelly suddenly stood in his way. "Ah, Pengelly," he said, heartily, "how are you, my lad?" and he stretched out his hand. To his astonishment, the miner struck it savagely aside, closed with him, caught him by arm and waistband, and by a clever Cornish wrestling trick, and the exercise of his iron muscles, literally lifted him from the ground. Geoffrey was powerful, and full of youth and vigour, but his antagonist's dwarfish legs gave him another advantage, and he could have thrown the young man heavily to the ground, but in the very act of dashing him upon the rocks he relented, and let him recover himself. "Have you gone mad, Pengelly?" cried Geoffrey, warmly. "Hang it, man, if you don't control that confounded temper of yours you'll be on your trial some day for murder." "Maybe it'll be yours," cried Amos, fiercely. "What have I done to you that you should serve me in this way?" "I? Serve you?" cried Geoffrey, in astonishment, for he had resumed his unruffled manner. "What's the matter, Amos?" "Where have you been, master?" "Been? Down to Gwennas Cove." "There, you own it," cried Amos, with his passion rising again. "Look here, master, there are things that make me mad. I've fought like men with beasts at Ephesus, as holy Paul says, and my beasts are the beasts of passion that rise up in me. I've fought and I've prayed, and I've mastered them again and again, but there's one thing lets them loose, and I can't keep them down." "Look here, Pengelly," said Geoffrey, quietly, "I had hoped when the day came that I could get a good engagement to have you as one of my best men; but, hang me! if I can trust a fellow who has always got a volcano in him ready to burst out." "Then why do you cross me like this?" "Cross you, my good fellow?" said Geoffrey, as he fixed the miner with his eye. "I'm not going to cross you. There, come along back to Carnac, and let's talk about yonder mine."