It was strange enough that day after day and week after week went by without John Trevethick making any reference to the application his guest had made for his daughter’s hand.  His silence certainly seemed to favor it; and the more so since, notwithstanding what he knew, he put no obstacles in the way of the young people’s meeting and enjoying each other’s society as heretofore.  Perhaps he had too strong a confidence in Harry’s sense of duty, or in the somewhat more than filial fear in which she stood of him.  Perhaps Richard’s prudent and undemonstrative behavior toward the girl in the presence of others deceived him.  But, at all events, the summer came and still found Richard under the same roof with Harry, and more like one of the family than ever.  Tourists of the young man’s own position in life, and even of the same profession, began to visit Gethin, and of course “put up” at the Castle, but he found nothing so attractive in their company as to withdraw him from that homely coterie in the bar parlor for a single evening.  He was always made welcome there by both his host and Solomon; and without doubt, so far as the former was concerned, a less sanguine man than the young landscape-painter might have considered that his suit was tacitly acceded to.

Even Harry herself—­to whom her father’s conduct was surprising enough—­had come at last to this conclusion.  Only one thing militated against this pleasant view of affairs—­it was certain that the old man had not yet opened his lips to “Sol” upon the matter.  It was clear that the miner still considered himself in the light of Harry’s accepted suitor.  As a lover, he was fortunately phlegmatic, and did not demand those little tributes of affection in the shape of smiles and whispers, secret glances, silent pressures, which his position might have exacted; but he would now and then pay her a blundering compliment in a manner that could not be misinterpreted, or even make some direct allusion to their future settlement in life, which embarrassed her still more.  The young girl, as we have hinted, was by no means incapable of dissimulation, but she naturally revolted against having to support such a role as this, and would have even run the risk of precipitating what might have been a catastrophe by undeceiving him.  But Richard bade her have patience.  He had strong reasons, if they were not good ones, for being well satisfied with the present state of affairs.  In love, notwithstanding much savage writing to the contrary, it is the woman who suffers; it is she who is the small trader, who can least afford to wait, while man is the capitalist.  Richard saw no immediate necessity for pressing the matter of his marriage, upon which his heart was, nevertheless, as deeply set as ever.  He would not (to do him justice) have been parted from his Harry now for all the wealth of Carew.  But he was not parted from her, and he did not wish to risk even a temporary separation