"Do you think any of them were part of the rough crew who came here with
that red-faced captain?"

"I think not, father."

"I'm afraid they went to Sir Morton Darley; so we must be watchful. Let
that other trouble drop now, and be careful for the future. Don't worry
me now; Rugg wants to see me about the mining accounts. Keep out of
mischief, and don't let me hear any more about young Darley."

Mark promised, and went out with the intention of going down the river
to see old Master Rayburn, and ask him whether he had received the egg.
But before he had gone far, the memories of the whole business seemed so
distasteful, and he felt so much annoyed with himself, that he turned
back.

"He'd make me tell him all about it, and I feel as if I couldn't,"
muttered the lad. "It tastes more and more bitter every time I think
about it, and if Master Rayburn began to ask me questions, he'd get it
all out of me, for he has such a way of doing it. I don't believe any
one could tell him a lie without being found out. Of course I shouldn't
tell him one. No, I won't go. He'd say that I behaved badly, and I
don't want to be told, for though I wouldn't own it, I know it better
than any one could tell me. Hang the Darleys! I wish there wasn't one
on the face of the earth."

So, instead of going to old Master Rayburn's cottage, Mark walked back
to the Black Tor, and after making up his mind to go down into the
lead-mine, and chip off bits of spar, he went and talked to his sister,
and told her, naturally enough, all that had passed.

Mary Eden, who was about a year older, and very like him in feature,
shuddered a good deal over parts of his narration, and looked tearful
and pained at the end.

"What's the matter?" he said, rather roughly; "why, you're going to
cry!"

"I can't help it, Mark," she said sadly.

"Why: what makes you look like that?" said the lad irritably.

"Because--because--" she faltered.

"Well, because--because--" he cried mockingly.

"Because what?"

"Don't be angry with me, dear. My brother Mark seems as if he behaved
like a Darley, and that young Darley like my brother Mark."

"Oh!" cried the lad, jumping up in a rage; and he rushed off, in spite
of an appealing cry from Mary, and went down into the mine after all,
where he met Dummy Rugg, old Dan's son, and went for a ramble in the
very lowest and grimmest parts, feeling as if to get away from the light
of day would do him good, for his s