In the region which extends between Edinburgh and Glasgow, for a distance of ten or twelve miles, lay the Aberfoyle colliery, of which the engineer, James Starr, had so long directed the works.

For ten years these mines had been abandoned.

No new seams had been discovered, although the soundings had been carried to a depth of fifteen hundred or even of two thousand feet, and when James Starr had retired, it was with the full conviction that even the smallest vein had been completely exhausted.
Under these circumstances, it was plain that the discovery of a new seam of coal would be an important event.

Could Simon Ford's communication relate to a fact of this nature?
This question James Starr could not cease asking himself.

Was he called to make conquest of another corner of these rich treasure fields?
Fain would he hope it was so.
The second letter had for an instant checked his speculations on this subject, but now he thought of that letter no longer.