"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.
"How did I know?" said the man, chuckling. "You know I arn't a fool,
Mas'r Tregenna, or you wouldn't have set me to get work in that there
mine, and report every thing to you."
For answer Tregenna unlocked a drawer in his table, and took out a
packet of papers, neatly endorsed, and tied up with red tape.
"Look here, Lannoe," he said, shaking the papers at the man, "your
tongue runs too fast, and you forget your position. You are a man of
bad character whom I got off at the assize for a crime that would have
given you penal servitude. You can be a useful man; and when you came
to me begging I gave you money and I got you work. Suppose, on further
consideration of your case, I should find out that there was a little
evidence left out that would convict you, and feel it my duty to make it
known, so that the prosecution could have a new trial?"
"You wouldn't do that, Mas'r Tregenna, sir," growled the man. "I'm too
useful to you. There, I'll hold my tongue."
"You had better," said Tregenna, who had now somewhat recovered himself.
"And so this mine's going to be enormously rich?"
"Not a doubt of it, sir, unless the water breaks in."
"Water breaks in? What, is the vein near the sea?"
"Goes right under it, sir," said the man, watching intently where the
packet of papers was placed, Tregenna seeing it, and resolving to place
them elsewhere. "You see, the people who failed seem to have driven
right in there, till, finding nothing, they were afraid to go farther
for fear of the sea breaking through."
"And might it not break through now?"
"Well, it might, sir; but Master Trethick's one of your clever, careful
sort, and he'll take care that nothing goes wrong. He had the men busy
with props, and struts, and planking all day long. There'll be no water
break in there."
"Curse it, it's most unfortunate!" cried Tregenna, biting his nails.
"I'd have given any thing sooner than it should have turned out as it
has."
"Hundred pound, p'r'aps," said Lannoe, looking at him sidewise.
"Yes, I'd have given a hundred pounds if the mine had turned out a
failure."
"Hand it over," said the miner, abruptly.
"What do you mean?"
"You said you'd give a hundred pounds if that there mine turned out a
complete failure, and I say hand it over."
"Look here, Lannoe," cried Tregenna, unable to contain his excitement,
"can you--do you know--curse it, man, speak out!"
"What for? What's the good?" said the man, hoarsely. "Hundred pounds--
hundred pounds. Give me the hundred pounds and you'll see."
Tregenna looked at him strangely.
"I don't pay for work until it's done," he said.
"And I don't work unless I'm paid," said the man, roughly.
"And suppose you break faith?"
"And suppose you get me tried all over again?" said Lannoe. "Look here,
Master Tregenna, you're a gentleman, and I'm only a rough miner, but we
are both on the same road. I arn't blind, so you may just as well speak
plain. I know, you know, and speak plain, and don't hide it from you
about Bess Prawle, and my being kicked off and threatened. You don't
suppose I let Amos Pengelly half kill me when he threw me on the rocks
without owing him for it and wanting to pay it back, even if I do work
with him now all smooth? Why can't you speak plain too? I know, you
know, about your wanting young miss, and the old man saying you
shouldn't, and your Amos Pengelly--this here bullying, ordering
Londoner--coming and throwing you. There, master, you'd better hand
over that hundred pounds."
"And if I do?" said Tregenna, leaning forward, placing his elbows on the
table as he faced Lannoe, and joined his hands carefully as if he were
going to say his prayers.
"Wait and see," said the man. "You don't want to know, sir. You want
to hear that Wheal Carnac's a failure, and I'm the man as can make it
one. Now what do you say?"
Tregenna remained thinking for a time, with hate and revenge against
cautiousness fighting for the mastery.
It was two to one, and cautiousness was beaten.
"I'll give you the hundred pounds, Lannoe," he said; "but I warn you
that if you play me false I'll have the police on your track at once.
You may think think you could get away, or throw it back in my face that
I set you to do something; but you could not get away, and my character
would be set against yours if you brought any charge against me."
"Who's going to?" cried the man.
"And if it cost me a couple of thousand pounds, man, I'd have you in the
dock."
"Don't I tell you I'd do any thing to pay Amos Pengelly, master. Hand
over that money."
"I have not got it here," said Tregenna.
"What?"
"You don't suppose a gentleman keeps a hundred pounds always in his
pocket, do you?"
"I should," said the man, grimly, "if I'd got it. Give us a bit o'
paper then to take to the bank to-morrow."
"Shall I tell the crier to go round and shout that I have given you a
hundred pounds for some reason or another? Don't be a fool, man!"
"Give me notes, then," said Lannoe.
"Every one of which, if I had them, would be numbered as having been
paid to me. No, Lannoe, I have given you my word that I will pay you;
and, what is more," he cried, excitedly, "if--if, I say--you understand?
I'll give you another fifty."
"Shake hands," said the man; and Tregenna unwillingly placed his white
beringed fingers in the miner's horny paw, to take them out afterwards
red and crushed.
"I'll trust you, Lannoe, and you must trust me."
"Right, master," said the miner. "Then look here. Where--"
"That will do," said Tregenna. "I want to know nothing. I'll hear
nothing. Come to me some day when you think it wise, and there is the
money for you."
He pointed to the door, and the man nodded and went away.