"I hev hearn tell," he added, "ez Nate air countin' on goin'
pardners with a man in Sparty, who hev got money, to work the gold
mine."

Now and then, as he talked, he glanced up at his companion's face,
vaguely expecting to discover his opinion by its expression, but the
light still played in a baffling glitter upon his spectacles.

Birt could only follow when the professor suddenly handed back the
specimens with a peremptory "Come--come! We must go for the spade.
But when we reach your mother's house I will test this mineral, and
you shall see for yourself what you have lost."

Mrs. Dicey's first impression upon meeting the stranger and learning
of his mission was not altogether surprise as Birt had expected.
Her chief absorption was a deep thankfulness that the floors all
preserved their freshly scoured appearance.

"Fur ef Rufe hed been playin' round hyar ter-day, same ez common,
the rubbish would have been a scandal ter the kentry," she
reflected.

In fact, all was so neat, albeit so poor, that the stranger felt as
polite as he looked, while he talked to her about employing Birt in
his researches.

Birt, however, had little disposition to listen to this. He was
excited by the prospect of testing the mineral, and he busied
himself with great alacrity in preparing for it under the