carried to any extent."

"Lady Helen knows about all these sort of things, and yet I think she
is quite feminine," said Rochester; and then he colored faintly and
looked at Sibyl, whose eyes danced with fun.

Mrs. Ogilvie slowly rose from the table.

"You will find cigars in that box," she said. "No, Sibyl, you are not
to stay with Mr. Rochester; come to the drawing-room with me."

"Oh, do let her stay," earnestly pleaded the young man, "she has often
sat with me while I smoked before."

"Well, as you please, but don't spoil her," said the mother. She left
the room, and Sibyl curled herself up luxuriously in a deep armchair
near Mr. Rochester.

"I have a lot of things to ask you," she said; "I am not going to be
like my ownest mother, I am going to be like Lady Helen. I want to
understand about the gold mine. I want to understand why, if you give
your money to a certain thing, you get back little bits of gold. Can
you make the gold into sovereigns, is that what happens?"

"It is extremely difficult for me to explain," said Rochester, "but I
think the matter lies in a nutshell. If your father gives a good
report of the mine there will be a great deal of money subscribed, as
it is called, by different people."

"What's subscribed?"

"Well, given. You know what it means when people ask your mother to
subscribe to a charity?"

"Oh, yes, I know quite well; and Mr. and Mrs. Holman, they may
subscribe, may they?"

"Yes, whoever they may be. I don't know Mr. and Mrs. Holman, but of
course they may intend to subscribe, and other people will do the
same, and if we give, say, a hundred pounds we shall get back perhaps
one hundred and fifty, perhaps two hundred."

"Oh, that's very nice," said Sibyl; "I seem to understand, and yet I
don't understand."

"You understand enough, my dear little girl, quite enough. Don't
puzzle your poor little brain. Your mother is right, these are matters
for men."

"And you are quite certain that my father will say that the beautiful
mine is full of gold?" said Sibyl.

"He will say it if the gold is there."

"And if it is not?"

"Then he will tell the truth."

"Of course," said Sibyl, proudly. "My father couldn't tell a lie if he
was even to try. It would be impossible, wouldn't it, Mr. Rochester?"

"I should say quite impossible," replied Rochester firmly.

"You are awfully nice, you know," she said; "you are nice enough even
for Lady Helen. I do hope father will find the