would hide the mine buildings."

"The mine buildings, father?" said the boy, looking at his father
inquiringly.

"Yes; I mean if I were to be tempted into doing anything of the kind--
opening the mine again. Seems a pity, if it does contain wealth, to let
it lie there useless. Money's money, my boy."

"But you don't want money, father, do you?" said Gwyn. The Colonel
stopped short, and faced round to gaze in his son's face before bursting
into a merry fit of laughter. "Have I said something very stupid,
father?"

"No, not stupid--only shown me how inexperienced you are in the matters
of everyday life, Gwyn. My dear boy, I never knew an officer on
half-pay who did not want money."

"But I thought you had enough."

"Enough, boy? Someone among our clever writers once said that enough
was always a little more than a man possessed."

"But you will not begin mining, father?"

"I don't know, my boy. Let's have a look at the place. Here have we
been these ten years, and I know no more about this hole than I did when
I came. I know it is an old mine-shaft half full of water, just like a
dozen more about the district, and I should have gone on knowing no more
about it if that man had not begun talking, and shown me, by the great
interest he takes in the place, that he thinks it must be rich. Be
rather a nice thing to grow rich, my boy, and have plenty to start you
well in the world."

"But I don't want starting well in the world, father; it's nice enough
as it is."

"What, you idle, young dog! Do you expect to pass all your life
fishing, bathing, and bird's-nesting here?"

"No, father; but--"

"`No, father; but--' Humph! here's the place, then. Dear me, how very
unsafe that stone-wall is. A strong man could push it down the shaft in
half-an-hour."

As he spoke the Colonel strode up to the piled-up stones, and looked
over into the fern-fringed pit.

"Ugh! horrible! Pitch one of those stones down, boy."

Gwyn took a piece of the loose granite, raised it over his head with
both hands, and threw it from him with force enough to make it strike
the opposite side of the shaft, from which it rebounded, and then went
on down, down, into the darkness for some moments before there was a
dull splash, which came echoing out of the mouth, followed by a strange
swishing as the water rose and fell against the sides.

"Horrible, indeed!" muttered the Colonel. Then aloud: "And you let them
lower you down by a