Brooke understood that this was tantamount to a general invitation, and smiled, as she noticed, somewhat wryly.
"I am afraid I shall scarcely venture to come back again," he said. "Mrs. Devine is very kind, but still, you see—it really wouldn't be fitting."
Then he turned and vanished into the darkness outside, and Barbara went back to the lighted room with a curious look in her eyes.
XII.
BROOKE IS CARRIED AWAY.
The flume was finished, and the dam already progressing well, when one morning Devine came out, somewhat grim in face, from the new adit he was driving at the Canopus. The captain of the mine also came with him, and stood still, evidently in a state of perplexity, when Devine looked at him.
"Well," said the latter, brusquely, "what are we going to do, Wilkins?"
The captain blinked at the forest with eyes not yet accustomed to the change of light, as though in search of inspiration, which apparently did not come.
"There's plenty timber yonder," he said.
"There is," said Devine, drily. "Still, as we can't touch a log of it, it isn't much use to us. There is no doubt about the validity of the patent that fellow holds it under either, and it covers everything right back to the cañon. He doesn't seem disposed to make any terms with me."