ned away.

The girl was left wondering. There had been a note of reservation in his
manner when she had spoken of Goldbanks. Was there after all some
mystery about him or his occupation, something he did not want them to
know? Her interest was incredibly aroused.

CHAPTER XI

A BLIZZARD

Moya found in Goldbanks much to interest her. Its helter-skelter streets
following the line of least resistance, its slapdash buildings, the
scarred hillsides dotted with red shaft-houses beneath which straggled
slate-colored dumps like long beards, were all indigenous to a life the
manner of which she could only guess. Judged by her Bret Harte, the
place ought to be picturesque. Perhaps it was, but Moya was given little
chance to find out. At least it was interesting. Even from an outside
point of view she could see that existence was reduced to the elemental.
Men fought for gold against danger and privation and toil. No doubt if
she could have seen their hearts they fought too for love.

Miss Seldon was frankly bored by the crude rawness of the place. One
phase of it alone interested her. Of all this turbid activity Dobyans
Verinder was the chief profiter. Other capitalists had an interest in
the camp. Lord Farquhar held stock in the Mollie Gibson and Moya's small
inheritance was invested mostly in the mine. The Kilmenys owned shares
in two or three paying companies. But Verinder was far and away the
largest single owner. His holdings were scattered all over the camp. In
the Mollie Gibson and the Never Quit, the two biggest properties at
Goldbanks, he held a controlling vote.

It was impossible for Joyce to put her nose out of the hotel without
being confronted with the wealth of her suitor. This made a tremendous
appeal to the imagination of the young woman. All these thousands of men
were toiling to make him richer. If Verinder could have known it, the
environment was a potent ally for him. In London he was a social
climber, in spite of his gold; here he was a sole autocrat of the camp.
As the weeks passed he began to look more possible. His wealth would
give an amplitude, a spaciousness that would make the relationship
tolerable. As a man of moderate means he would not have done at all, but
every added million would help to reduce the intimacy of the marital
tie. To a certain extent she would go her way and he his. Meanwhile, she
kept him guessing. Sometimes her smiles brought him on the run. Again he
was made to und