disposition. She found the conversation of Mr Clearemout
agreeable, and did not attempt to conceal the fact. Mr Clearemout's
vanity induced him to set this down to a tender feeling, although Rose
never consciously gave him, by word or look, the slightest reason to
come to such a conclusion.

One forenoon Mr Clearemout was sitting in Mr Donnithorne's dining-room
conversing with Rose and Mrs Donnithorne, when the old gentleman
entered and sat down beside them.

"I had almost forgotten the original object of my visit this morning,"
said the managing director, with a smile, and a glance at Rose; "the
fact is that I am in want of a man to work at Wheal Dooem, a steady,
trustworthy man, who would be fit to take charge--become a sort of
overseer; can you recommend one?"

Mr Donnithorne paused for a moment to reflect, but Mrs Donnithorne
deeming reflection quite unnecessary, at once replied,--"Why, there are
many such men in St. Just. There's John Cock, as good a man as you
could find in all the parish, and David Trevarrow, and James Penrose--
he's a first-rate man; You remember him, my dear?" (turning to her
worse half)--"one of our locals, you know."

"Yes, my dear, I remember him perfectly.--You could not, Mr Clearemout,
get a better man, I should say."

"I think you observed, madam," said Mr Clearemout, "that this man is a
`local.' Pray, what is a local?"

Rose gave one of her little laughs at this point, and her worthy aunt
exclaimed,--"La! Mr Clearemout, don't you know what a local preacher
is?"

"Oh! a _preacher_? Connected with the Methodist body, I presume?"

"Yes, and a first-rate man, I assure you."

"But," said Mr Clearemout, with a smile, "I want a miner, not a
preacher."

"Well, he is a miner, and a good one too--"

"Allow _me_ to explain, my dear," said Mr Donnithorne, interrupting his
spouse. "You may not be aware, sir, that many of our miners are men of
considerable mental ability, and some of them possess such power of
speech, and so earnest a spirit, that the Wesleyan body have appointed
them to the office of local preaching. They do not become ministers,
however, nor are they liable to be sent out of the district like them.
They don't give up their ordinary calling, but are appointed to preach
in the various chapels of the district in which they reside, and thus we
accomplish an amount of work which could not possibly be overtaken by
the ordinary ministry."

"Indeed! but are they not