He glanced at his watch as he neared the slope up which the mine chimney crawled, like a huge serpent, to the perpendicular shaft on the hill, and found he was an hour before his time; so walking sharply down to a little sandy stretch only bare at very low tides, he slipped off his boots, tied the laces together, and hung them over his shoulder, and then drew off his socks, which he thrust into his pocket, turned up his trousers, and had a good wade; after which, being without a towel, he began to walk along the dry sand so as to let sun and air perform the part of bath attendants, finally taking a seat upon a stone to put the final polish to his toes with a silk pocket-handkerchief. He was bending down, seriously intent upon a few stray particles of sand, when a shadow fell athwart him, and looking up sharply, there stood Rhoda Penwynn. "Oh! I beg your pardon, Mr Trethick," she cried, colouring. "Beg yours," he said bluntly, as he started up and held out his hand; for it struck him that under the circumstances the better plan was to ignore his pursuit. "It's only a matter of custom," he said to himself; "bare feet are no more indelicate than bare hands or bare shoulders, and if ever she goes to sea she won't see many sailors wear socks and shoes." So in the coolest manner possible he walked by Rhoda's side, as calmly as a barefooted friar of old, and as free from guile; while she felt half-annoyed, half ready to blush, and ended by smiling at her companion's matter-of-fact ways. For he chatted about the place, the contents of the rock-pools, and the various weeds, and ended in the bluntest way by holding out his hand. "Good-morning, Miss Penwynn, I have an appointment now. Let me say good-by though, with a compliment." "Please don't," said Rhoda. "But I will," he said, laughing, "I only wanted to say that I admire your early rising ways." Then nodding in his frank, cheery way, he started off back towards the ruined mine, walking quickly till the acorn barnacles upon the rocks suggested the advisability of putting on his socks and boots, which he rapidly did. "What a Goth she must have thought me!" he said, laughing. "Well, can't help it if she did." Then starting off once more, he turned a corner and could see a short, thick-set figure advancing, and waved his hand, to see a cap held up in return. "Morning, Pengelly," he cried, as he met the miner. "Did you bring a pick?" "No, sir, it looked too business-like," said Pengelly, "and I thought we'd keep the matter quiet. But is that all over, sir?" "What?" said Geoffrey. "That last night work, sir. I haven't slep' a wink for thinking of it." "Tut, man! I never thought of it again. But, as you have spoken, just look here, Pengelly; you people down here seem to be all mad about marriage." "Well, I don't know about mad, sir," said the miner, apologetically; "but folks do think a deal about coming together." "So it seems," said Geoffrey, grimly.