the world。〃
〃Ah！ if Nell would only speak！〃 cried the engineer。
〃Mr。 Starr……and you； father；〃 said Harry； 〃I do beg of you to keep silence on this matter； and not to question my poor Nell。 I know she is very anxious and uneasy； and I feel positive that some great secret painfully oppresses her heart。 Either she knows nothing it would be of any use for us to hear； or she considers it her duty to be silent。 It is impossible to doubt her affection for us……for all of us。 If at a future time she informs me of what she has hitherto concealed from us； you shall know about it immediately。〃
〃So be it； then； Harry；〃 answered the engineer； 〃and yet I must say Nell's silence； if she knows anything； is to me perfectly inexplicable。〃
Harry would have continued her defense； but the engineer stopped him； saying； 〃All right； Harry； we promise to say no more about it to your future wife。〃
〃With my father's consent she shall be my wife without further delay。〃
〃My boy；〃 said old Simon； 〃your marriage shall take place this very day month。 Mr。 Starr； will you undertake the part of Nell's father？〃
〃You may reckon upon me for that； Simon；〃 answered the engineer。
They then returned to the cottage； but said not a word of the result of their examinations in the mine； so that to the rest of its inhabitants； the bursting in of the vaulted roof of the caverns continued to be regarded as a mere accident。 There was but a loch the less in Scotlan