And feelings such as that inevitably try to disprove themselves by noisy self-assertion.
Accordingly Tom--after various jocular remarks in patois to Peter, who would have laughed at them had he dared, but, knowing Nance's feelings towards her brother was not sure how she would take it--loudly and provocatively to Gard-- "Expect to make them mines pay, monsieur ?" "Well, I hope so.

But it's too soon to express an opinion till I've seen them." "They put a lot of money in, and they get a lot of dirt out, but one does not hear much of any silver." "Sometimes the deepest mines prove the best in the end." "And as long as there's anybody to pay for it I suppose you go on digging." "If I thought the mines had petered out--" "Eh ?" said Peter, and then coughed to hide his confusion when they all looked at him.
"I should of course advise the owners to stop work and sink no more money." "It'll be a bad day for Sark when that happens," said old Tom.

"But it's not going to happen.

The silver's there all right.

It only wants getting out." "If it's there we'll certainly get it out," said Gard, and although he said it quietly enough, old Tom felt much better about things in general.
"You're the man for us," he said heartily.