第22部分(第1/7 頁)

ants　of　Coal　Town；　the　threatened　danger　to　the　subterranean　colony　was　made　known　to　them。　Nell　was　informed　of　all　the　precautions　taken；　and　became　more　tranquil；　although　she　was　not　free　from　uneasiness。　Harry's　determination　to　follow　her　wherever　she　went　pelled　her　to　promise　not　to　escape　from　her　friends。

During　the　week　preceding　the　wedding；　no　accident　whatever　occurred　in　Aberfoyle。 The　system　of　watching　was　carefully　maintained；　but　the　miners　began　to　recover　from　the　panic；　which　had　seriously　interrupted　the　work　of　excavation。　James　Starr　continued　to　look　out　for　Silfax。 The　old　man　having　vindictively　declared　that　Nell　should　never　marry　Simon's　son；　it　was　natural　to　suppose　that　he　would　not　hesitate　to　mit　any　violent　deed　which　would　hinder　their　union。

The　examination　of　the　mine　was　carried　on　minutely。　Every　passage　and　gallery　was　searched；　up　to　those　higher　ranges　which　opened　out　among　the　ruins　of　Dundonald　Castle。 It　was　rightly　supposed　that　through　this　old　building　Silfax　passed　out　to　obtain　what　was　needful　for　the　support　of　his　miserable　existence　（which　he　must　have　done；　either　by　purchasing　or　thieving）。

As　to　the　〃fire…maidens；〃　James　Starr　began　to　think　that　appearance　must　have　been　produced　by　some　jet　of　fire…damp　gas　which；　issuing　from　that　part　of　the　pit；　could　be　lighted　by　Silfax。 He　was　not　far　wrong；　but　all　search　for　proof　of　this　was　fruitless；　and　the　continued　strain　of　anxiety　in　this　perpetual　effort　to　detect　a　malignant　and　invisible　being　rendered　the　engineer……　outwardly　calm……an　unhappy　man。

389

As　the　wedding…day　approached；　his　dread　of　some　catastrophe　increased；　and　he　could　not　but　speak　of　it　to　the　old　overman；　whose　uneasiness　soon　more　than　equaled