That alone was sufficient to make him tingle with curiosity.
"Have you any idea what I did in your absence ?" she asked.
"I imagine you lounged about, waiting and watching for me," he replied, smiling.

"I've my share of conceit, you know." "You're wrong.

I worked.

Look at my hands." She dropped on her knees close to where he sat, and, carefully depositing the black bundle, she held out her hands.

The palms and inside of her fingers were white, puckered, and worn.
"Why, Bess, you've been fooling in the water," he said.
"Fooling?
Look here!" With deft fingers she spread open the black scarf, and the bright sun shone upon a dull, glittering heap of gold.
"Gold!" he ejaculated.
"Yes, gold! See, pounds of gold! I found it--washed it out of the stream--picked it out grain by grain, nugget by nugget!" "Gold!" he cried.
"Yes.