Scales
with gallant emphasis, and he dug his stick into the soft ground.
She blushed and made no answer.
They walked on in silence, each wondering apprehensively what
might happen next.
Suddenly Mr. Scales stopped at a dilapidated low brick wall, built
in a circle, close to the side of the road.
"I expect that's an old pit-shaft," said he.
"Yes, I expect it is."
He picked up a rather large stone and approached the wall.
"Be careful!" she enjoined him.
"Oh! It's all right," he said lightly. "Let's listen. Come near
and listen."
She reluctantly obeyed, and he threw the stone over the dirty
ruined wall, the top of which was about level with his hat. For
two or three seconds there was no sound. Then a faint reverberation
echoed from the depths of the shaft. And on Sophia's brain arose
dreadful images of the ghosts of miners wandering for ever in
subterranean passages, far, far beneath. The noise of the falling
stone had awakened for her the secret terrors of the earth. She
could scarcely even look at the wall without a spasm of fear.
"How strange," said Mr. Scales, a little awe in his voice, too,
"that that should be left there like that! I suppose it's very
deep.
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