第4章

"Letmeknowwhatitisanditshallbedone，"repliedRenshawquickly。

"IfyoushouldcomeacrossMonsieurdeFerrieres，orhearofhim，I

wishyouwouldletmeknow。Hewasverypoorlywhenhelefthere，andIshouldliketoknowifhewasbetter。Hedidn’tsaywherehewasgoing。Atleast，hedidn’ttellfather;butIfancyheandfatherdon’tagree。"

"IshallbeverygladofhavingevenTHATopportunityofmakingyourememberme，MissNott，"returnedRenshawwithafaintsmile;"I

don’tsupposeeitherthatitwouldbeverydifficulttogetnewsofyourfriend——everybodyseemstoknowhim。"

"ButnotasIdid，"saidRoseywithanabstractedlittlesigh。

Mr。Renshawopenedhisbrowneyesuponher。Washemistaken？wasthisromanticgirlonlyalittlecoquetteplayingherprovincialairsonhim？"Yousayheandyourfatherdidn’tagree？Thatmeans，Isuppose，thatYOUandheagreed？——andthatwastheresult。"

"Idon’tthinkfatherknewanythingaboutit，"saidRoseysimply。

Mr。Renshawrose。Andthiswaswhathehadbeenwaitingtohear！

"Perhaps，"hesaidgrimly，"youwouldalsolikenewsofthephotographerandCaptainBower，ordidyourfatheragreewiththembetter？"

"No，"saidRoseyquietly。Sheremainedsilentforamoment，andliftingherlashessaid，"FatheralwaysseemedtoagreewithYOU，andthat——"shehesitated。

"That’swhyYOUdon’t。"

"Ididn’tsaythat，"saidRoseywithanincongruousincreaseofcoldnessandcolor。"Ionlymeanttosayitwasthatwhichmakesitseemsohardyoushouldgonow。"

NotwithstandinghispreviousdeterminationRenshawfoundhimselfsittingdownagain。Confusedandpleased，wishinghehadsaidmore——orless——hesaidnothing，andRoseywasforcedtocontinue。

"It’sstrange，isn’tit——butfatherwasurgingmethismorningtomakeavisittosomefriendsattheoldRanch。Ididn’twanttogo。Ilikeitmuchbetterhere。"

"Butyoucannotburyyourselfhereforever，MissNott，"saidRenshawwithasuddenburstofhonestenthusiasm。"Soonerorlateryouwillbeforcedtogowhereyouwillbeproperlyappreciated，whereyouwillbeadmiredandcourted，whereyourslightestwishwillbelaw。Believeme，withoutflattery，youdon’tknowyourownpower。"

"Itdoesn’tseemstrongenoughtokeepeventhelittleIlikehere，"saidRoseywithaslightglisteningoftheeyes。"But，"sheaddedhastily，"youdon’tknowhowmuchthedearoldshipistome。

It’stheonlyhomeIthinkIeverhad。"

"ButtheRanch？"saidRenshaw。

"TheRanchseemedtobeonlytheoldwagonhaltedintheroad。Itwasaverylittleimprovementonoutdoors，"saidRoseywithalittleshiver。"Butthisissocozyandsnugandyetsostrangeandforeign。DoyouknowIthinkIbegantounderstandwhyIlikeitsosinceyoutaughtmesomuchaboutshipsandvoyages。BeforethatIonlylearnedfrombooks。Booksdeceiveyou，Ithink，morethanpeopledo。Don’tyouthinkso？"

Sheevidentlydidnotnoticethequickflushthatcoveredhischeeksandapparentlydazzledhistroubledeyelidforshewentonconfidentially。

"Iwasthinkingofyouyesterday。Iwassittingbythegalleydoor，lookingforward。YourememberthefirstdayIsawyouwhenyoustartledmebycomingupoutofthehatch？"

"Iwishyouwouldn’tthinkofthat，"saidRenshaw，withmoreearnestnessthanhewouldhavemadeapparent。

"Idon’twanttoeither，"saidRosey，gravely，"forI’vehadastrangefancyaboutit。IsawoncewhenIwasyounger，apictureinaprintshopinMontgomeryStreetthathauntedme。Ithinkitwascalled’ThePirate。’Therewasanumberofwicked-lookingsailorslyingaroundthedeck，andcomingoutofahatchwasonefigurewithhishandsonthedeckandacutlassinhismouth。"

"Thankyou，"saidRenshaw。

"Youdon’tunderstand。Hewashorrid-looking，notatalllikeyou。

IneverthoughtofHIMwhenIfirstsawyou;buttheotherdayI

thoughthowdreadfulitwouldhavebeenifsomeonelikehimandnotlikeyouhadcomeupthen。Thatmademenervoussometimesofbeingalone。Ithinkfatheristoo。Heoftengoesaboutstealthilyatnight，asifhewaswatchingforsomething。"

Renshaw’sfacegrewsuddenlydark。CoulditbepossiblethatSleighthadalwayssuspectedhim，andsetspiestowatch——orwasheguiltyofsomedoubleintrigue？

"Hethinks，"continuedRoseywithafaintsmile，"thatsomeoneislookingaroundtheship，andtalksofsettingbear-traps。Ihopeyou’renotmad，Mr。Renshaw，"sheadded，suddenlycatchingsightofhischangedexpression，"atmyfoolishnessinsayingyouremindedmeofthepirate。Imeantnothing。"

"Iknowyou’reincapableofmeaninganythingbutgoodtoanybody，MissNott，perhapstomemorethanIdeserve，"saidRenshawwithasuddenburstoffeeling。"Iwish——Iwish——youwoulddoMEafavor。

YOUaskedmeonejustnow。"Hehadtakenherhand。Itseemedsolikeamereillustrationofhisearnestness，thatshedidnotwithdrawit。"Yourfathertellsyoueverything。Ifhehasanyoffertodisposeoftheship，willyouwritetomeatoncebeforeanythingisconcluded？"Hewincedalittle——thesentenceofSleight，"What’sthefigureyouandshehavesettledupon？"flashedacrosshismind。HescarcelynoticedthatRoseyhadwithdrawnherhandcoldly。

"Perhapsyouhadbetterspeaktofather，asitisHISbusiness。

Besides，Ishallnotbehere。IshallbeattheRanch。"

"Butyousaidyoudidn’twanttogo？"

"I’vechangedmymind，"saidRoseylistlessly。"Ishallgoto-

night。"

Sheroseasiftoindicatethattheinterviewwasended。Withanoverpoweringinstinctthathiswholefuturehappinessdependeduponhisnextact，hemadeasteptowardsher，witheageroutstretchedhands。Butsheslightlyliftedherownwithawarninggesture，"I

hearfathercoming——youwillhaveachancetotalkBUSINESSwithhim，"shesaid，andvanishedintoherstate-room。

VI

TheheavytreadofAbnerNottechoedinthepassage。Confusedandembarrassed，RenshawremainedstandingatthedoorthathadcloseduponRoseyasherfatherenteredthecabin。Providence，whichalwaysfosteredMr。Nott’scharacteristicmisconceptions，leftthatperspicaciousparentbutoneinterpretationofthesituation。

RoseyhadevidentlyjustinformedMr。Renshawthatshelovedanother！

"Iwasjustsaying’good-by’toMissNott，"saidRenshaw，hastilyregaininghiscomposurewithaneffort。"IamgoingtoSacramentoto-night，andwillnotreturn。I——"

"Incourse，incourse，"interruptedNott，soothingly;"that’swotyousaynow，andthat’swhatyouallowtodo。That’swottheyallusdo。"

"Imean，"saidRenshaw，reddeningatwhatheconceivedtobeanallusiontotheabscondingpropensitiesofNott’sprevioustenants，——"Imeanthatyoushallkeeptheadvancetocoveranylossyoumightsufferthroughmygivinguptherooms。"

"Certingly，"saidNott，layinghishandwithalargesympathyonRenshaw’sshoulder;"butwe’lldropthatjustnow。Wewon’tswaphossesinthemiddleoftheriver。We’llsquareupaccountsinyourroom，"headded，raisinghisvoicethatRoseymightoverhearhim，afterapreliminarywinkattheyoungman。"Yes，sir，we’lljustsquareupandsettleinthere。Comealong，Mr。Renshaw。"

Pushinghimwithpaternalgentlenessfromthecabin，withhishandstilluponhisshoulder，hefollowedhimintothepassage。Halfannoyedathisfamiliarity，yetnotaltogetherdispleasedbythisillustrationofRosey’sbeliefofhispreference，Renshawwonderinglyaccompaniedhim。Nottclosedthedoor，andpushingtheyoungmanintoachair，deliberatelyseatedhimselfatthetableopposite。"It’sjustaswellthatRoseyreckonsthatyouandmeissettlin’ouraccounts，"hebegan，cunningly，"andmebbeeit’sjustezwellezsheshouldreckonyou’regoin’away。"

"ButIAMgoing，"interruptedRenshaw，impatiently。"Ileaveto-

night。"

"Surely，surely，"saidNott，gently，"that’swotyoukalkilatetodo;that’sjustnat’ralinayoungfeller。That’saboutwhatI

reckonI’Dhevdonetohermotherifanythin’likethishedevercroppedup，whichitdidn’t。NotbutwhatAlmiryJanehadyoungfellersenoughroundher，but，’ceptoleJudgePeter，ezwaslamedintheWarof1812，thereain’tnosimilarityezIkinsee，"headded，musingly。

"IamafraidIcan’tseeanysimilarityeither，Mr。Nott，"saidRenshaw，strugglingbetweenadawningsenseofsomeimpendingabsurdityandhisgrowingpassionforRosey。"ForHeaven’ssakespeakoutifyou’vegotanythingtosay。"

Mr。Nottleanedforward，andplacedhislargehandontheyoungman’sshoulder。"That’sit。That’swhatIsedtomyselfwhenI

seedhowthingswerepintin’。’Speakout，’sezI，’Abner！Speakoutifyou’vegotanythingtosay。YoukintrustthisyerMr。

Renshaw。Heain’tthekindofmantocreepintothebosomofaman’sshipforpupposesofhisown。Heain’tamanthatwouldhuntrounduntilhediscoveredapoorman’streasure，andthentrytorob——’"

"Stop！"saidRenshaw，withasetfaceanddarkeningeyes。"WHAT

treasure？WHATmanareyouspeakingof？"

"WhyRoseyandMr。Ferrers，"returnedNott，simply。

Renshawsankintohisseatagain。ButtheexpressionofreliefwhichherepassedswiftlyoverhisfacegavewaytooneofuneasyinterestasNottwenton。

"P’r’apsit’salittlehighfalutintalkin’ofRoseyezatreasure。

But，considerin’，Mr。Renshaw，ezshe’stheonlyprop’tyI’vekeptbymeforseventeenyearsezhezpaidinterestandincreasedinvalooe，itain’tsayin’toomuchtocallherso。AndezFerrersknowsthis，heoughterbeencontentwithgougin’meinthathorse-

hairspec，withoutgoin’forRosey。P’r’apsyersurprisedathearingmespeako’myownfleshandbloodezifIwastalkin’

hoss-trade，butyouandmeisbus’nessmen，Mr。Renshaw，andwediscussesezsuch。Weain’tgoin’tosloshroundandslopoverinpo’tryandsentiment，"continuedNott，withatremulousvoice，andahandthatslightlyshookonRenshaw’sshoulder。"Weain’tgoin’

togitupandsing，’Thou’stlarnedtoloveanotherthou’stbrokeneveryvowwe’vepartedfromeachotherandmybozom’slonelynowohisitwelltoseversuchheartsasournforeverkinIforgettheeneverfarewellfarewellfarewell。’Yeneverhappen’dtohearJimBakersingthatatthemoosichallonDupontStreet，Mr。Renshaw，"

continuedMr。Nott，enthusiastically，whenhehadrecoveredfromthatcompleteabsenceofpunctuationwhichalonesuggestedversetohisintellect。"Hesorterstruckwaterdownhere，"indicatinghisheart，"everytime。"

"ButwhathasMissNotttodowithM。deFerrieres？"askedRenshaw，withafaintsmile。

Mr。Nottregardedhimwithdumb，round，astonishedeyes。"Hezn’tshetoldyer？"

"Certainlynot。"

"Andshedidn’tletonanythin’abouthim？"hecontinued，feebly。

"Shesaidshe’dlikedtoknowwhere——"Hestopped，withthereflectionthathewasbetrayingherconfidences。

Adimforebodingofsomenewformofdeceit，towhicheventhemanbeforehimwasaconsentingparty，almostparalyzedNott’sfaculties。"Thenshedidn’ttellyerthatsheandFerrerswassparkin’andkeepin’kimpanytogether;thatsheandhimwasengaged，andwaskalkilatin’torunawaytofurrinparts;thatshecottonedtohimmorethantotheshiporherfather？"

"Shecertainlydidnot，andIshouldn’tbelieveit，"saidRenshaw，quickly。

Nottsmiled。Hewasamused;heastutelyrecognizedtheusualtrustfulnessofloveandyouth。Therewasclearlynodeceithere！

Renshaw’sattentiveeyessawthesmile，andhisbrowdarkened。

"Iliketohearyersaythat，Mr。Renshaw，"saidNott，"andit’snomorethanRoseydeserves，ezit’ssuthingonnat’ralandspell-likethat’scomeoverherthroughFerrers。Itain’tmyRosey。Butit’sGospeltruth，whethershe’sbewitchedornot;whetherit’sthemdamnfoolstoriesshereads——andit’slikeeznothe’sjustthekindo’snipetowrite’emhisself，andsorteradvertisehisself，don’tyersee——she’sallusstuckupforhim。They’vehadclandesentinterviews，andwhenItaxedhimwithitheezmuchezalloweditwasso，andreckonedhemustleave，soezhecouldrunheroff，youknow——kinderstampedeherwith’honor。’Them’shisverywords。"

"Butthatisallpast;heisgone，andMissNottdoesnotevenknowwhereheis！"saidRenshaw，withalaugh，which，however，concealedavagueuneasiness。

Mr。Nottroseandopenedthedoorcarefully。Whenhehadsatisfiedhimselfthatnoonewaslistening，hecamebackandsaidinawhisper，"That’salie。NotezRoseymeanstolie，butit’satrickhe’sputuponthatpoorchild。Thatman，Mr。Renshaw，hezbeenhangin’roundthePontiaceversince。I’veseedhimtwicewithmyowneyespassthecabinwindys。Morethanthat，I’veheardstrangenoisesatnight，andseenstrangefacesinthealleyoveryer。AndonlyjistnowezIkeminIketchedsightofafurrinlookin’ChineeniggerslinkingroundthebackdoorofwhatuseterbeFerrers’sloft。"

"Didhelooklikeasailor？"askedRenshawquickly，withareturnofhisformersuspicion。

"NotmorethanIdo，"saidNott，glancingcomplacentlyathispea-

jacket。"Hehadringsonhisyeerslikeawench。"

Mr。Renshawstarted。ButseeingNott’seyesfixedonhim，hesaidlightly，"Butwhathavethesestrangefacesandthisstrangeman——

probablyonlyaLascarsailoroutofajob——todowithFerrieres？"

"Friendso’his——fellerfurrincitizens——spiesonRosey，don’tyousee？Buttheycan’tplaytheoldman，Mr。Renshaw。I’vetoldRoseyshemustmakeavisittotheoldRanch。OnceI’vegotherthersafe，IreckonIkinmanageMr。FerrersandanynumberofChineeniggershekinbringalong。"

Renshawremainedforafewmomentslostinthought。ThenrisingsuddenlyhegraspedMr。Nott’shandwithafranksmilebutdeterminedeyes。"Ihaven’tgotthehangofthis，Mr。Nott——thewholethinggetsme！IonlyknowthatI’vechangedmymind。I’mNOTgoingtoSacramento。IshallstayHERE，oldman，untilIseeyousafethroughthebusiness，ormyname’snotDickRenshaw。

There’smyhandonit！Don’tsayaword。MaybeitisnomorethanIoughttodo——perhapsnothalfenough。Onlyremember，notawordofthistoyourdaughter。ShemustbelievethatIleaveto-night。

Andthesooneryougetheroutofthiscursedshipthebetter。"

"DeaconFlint’sgirlsaregoin’upinto-night’sboat。I’llsendRoseywiththem，"saidNottwithacunningtwinkle。Renshawnodded。Nottseizedhishandwithawinkofunutterablesignificance。

LefttohimselfRenshawtriedtoreviewmorecalmlythecircumstancesinthesestrangerevelationsthathadimpelledhimtochangehisresolutionsosuddenly。Thattheshipwasunderthesurveillanceofunknownparties，andthatthedescriptionofthemtalliedwithhisownknowledgeofacertainLascarsailor，whowasoneofSleight’sinformants——seemedtobemorethanprobable。ThatthisseemedtopointtoSleight’sdisloyaltytohimselfwhilehewasactingashisagent，oradoubletreacheryonthepartofSleight’sinformantswasineithercaseareasonandanexcuseforhisowninterference。ButtheconnectionoftheabsurdFrenchmanwiththecase，whichatfirstseemedacharacteristicimbecilityofhislandlord，bewilderedhimthemorehethoughtofit。Rejectinganyhypothesisofthegirl’saffectionfortheantiquatedfigurewhosesanitywasaquestionofpubliccriticism，hewasforcedtotheequallyalarmingtheorythatFerriereswascognizantofthetreasure，andthathisattentionstoRoseyweretogainpossessionofitbymarryingher。Mightshenotbedazzledbyapictureofthiswealth？Wasitnotpossiblethatshewasalreadyinpartpossessionofthesecret，andherstrangeattractiontotheship，andwhathehaddeemedherinnocentcravingforinformationconcerningit，aconsequence？Whyhadhenotthoughtofthisbefore？Perhapsshehaddetectedhispurposefromthefirst，andhaddeliberatelycheckmatedhim。ThethoughtdidnotincreasehiscomplacencyasNottsoftlyreturned。

"It’sallright，"hebeganwithacertainsatisfactioninthisrareopportunityforMachiavelliandiplomacy，"it’sallfixednow。

Roseytumbledtoitatonce，partiklerlywhenIsaidyouwasboundtogo。’ButwotmakesMr。Renshawgo，father，’sezshe;’wotmakeseverybodyrunawayfromtheship？’sezshe，ratherpeartlikeandsassyforher。’Mr。Renshawhezcontractin’business，’sezI;’gotabigthingupinSacramentothat’llmakehisfortun’，’sezI——forIwasn’tgoin’togiveyeraway，don’tyesee。’Hehadsomebusinesstotalktoyouabouttheship，’sezshe，lookin’atmeunderthecornerofherpockethandkerchief。’Lotso’business，’

sezI。’ThenIreckonhedon’tcaretohevmewritetohim，’sezshe。’Notabit，’sezI，’hewouldn’tansweryeifyedid。Ye’llneverhearfromthatchapagin。’"

"Butwhatthedevil——"interruptedtheyoungmanimpetuously。

"Keepyerhairon！"remonstratedtheoldmanwithdarkintelligence。"Efyou’dseenthewaysheflouncedintoherstateroom！——she，Rosey，ezallusmovesezsoftlyezaspirit——you’dhevwishedI’dhevunloadedalittlemore。Nosir，galsisgalsinsomethingsallthetime。"

Renshawroseandpacedtheroomrapidly。"PerhapsI’dbetterspeaktoheragainbeforeshegoes，"hesaid，impulsively。

"P’r’apsyou’dbetternot，"repliedtheimperturbableNott。

Irritatedashewas，Renshawcouldnotavoidthereflectionthattheoldmanwasright。What，indeed，couldhesaytoherwithhispresentimperfectknowledge？Howcouldshewritetohimifthatknowledgewascorrect？

"Ef，"saidNott，kindly，withalayingonoflargebenedictoryandpaternalhands，"efyerarewillin’toseeRoseyagin，withoutSPEAKIN’toher，IreckonIkenfixitforyer。I’mgoin’totakeherdowntotheboatinhalfanhour。Efyershouldhappen——mind，efyershouldHAPPENtobedownthere，seein’somefriendsoffandsorterpromenadin’upanddownthewharflikethemhigh-tonedchapsonMontgomeryStreet——yemightketchhereyeunconsciouslike。Or，yemightdothis！"Heroseafteramoment’scogitationandwithafaceofprofoundmysteryopenedthedoorandbeckonedRenshawtofollowhim。Leadingthewaycautiously，hebroughttheyoungmanintoanopenunpartitionedrecessbesideherstateroom。Itseemedtobeusedasastoreroom，andRenshaw’seyewascaughtbyatrunkthesizeandshapeoftheonethathadprovidedRoseywiththematerialsofhermasquerade。PointingtoitMr。Nottsaidinagravewhisper："ThisyertrunkisthecompaniontrunktoRosey’s。

SHE’Sgotthethingsthemoperywomenwears;thisyercontainstheHEthings，thedudsandfixin’so’themeno’thesamestripe。"

Throwingitopenhecontinued："Now，Mr。Renshaw，galsisgals;

it’snat’raltheyshouldbetookbyfancydressandstoreclothesonyoungchapsasontheirselves。ThatmanFerrershezgotthedeadwoodonallofyeinthissortofthing，andhezbeenplaying，sotospeak，alonehandallalong。Andefthar’sanythin’inthar，"headded，liftingpartofatheatricalwardrobe，"thatyouthinkyou’dfancy——anythin’you’dliketoputonwhenyepromenadethewharfdownyonder——it’syours。Don’tyebebashful，buthelpyourself。"

ItwasfullyaminutebeforeRenshawfairlygraspedtheoldman’smeaning。Butwhenhedid——whenthesuggestedspectacleofhimselfarrayedalaFerrieres，gravelypromenadingthewharfasalastgorgeousappealtotheaffectionsofRosey，rosebeforehisfancy，hegavewaytoafitofgenuinelaughter。Thenervoustensionofthepastfewhoursrelaxed;helaugheduntilthetearscameintohiseyes;hewasstilllaughingwhenthedoorofthecabinwassuddenlyopenedandRoseyappearedcoldanddistantonthethreshold。

"I——begyourpardon，"stammeredRenshawhastily。"Ididn’tmean——

todisturbyou——I——"

WithoutlookingathimRoseyturnedtoherfather。"Iamready，"

shesaidcoldly，andclosedthedooragain。

AglanceofartfulintelligencecameintoNott’seyes，whichhadremainedblanklystaringatRenshaw’sapparentlycauselesshilarity。Turningtohimhewinkedsolemnly。"Thatkeerlesskindo’hoss-laffjistfetchedher，"hewhispered，andvanishedbeforehischagrinedcompanioncouldreply。

WhenMr。NottandhisdaughterdepartedRenshawwasnotintheship，neitherdidhemakeaspectacularappearanceonthewharfasMr。Notthadfondlyexpected，nordidheturnupagainuntilafternineo’clock，whenhefoundtheoldmaninthecabinawaitinghisreturnwithsomeagitation。

"Aminitago，"hesaid，mysteriouslyclosingthedoorbehindRenshaw，"Iheardavoiceinthepassage，andgoin’outwhoshouldIseeaginbutthatdarnedfurrinniggerezItoldyer’bout，kinderhidin’inthedark，hiseyesshininlikeacatamount，Iwasjistreachin’formyweppinswhenherizupwithagrinandhandedmethisyerletter。ItoldhimIreckonedyou’dgonetoSacramento，buthesaidhewezsureyouwasinyourroom，andtoproveitIwentthar。ButwhenIkembackthed————dskunkhadvamoosed——gotfrightenedIreckon——andwasn’tnowhartobeseen。"

Reashawtooktheletterhastily。ItcontainedonlyalineinSleight’shand。"Ifyouchangeyourmind，thebearermaybeofservicetoyou。"

HeturnedabruptlytoNott。"YousayitwasthesameLascaryousawbefore。"

"Itwas。"

"ThenallIcansayisheisnoagentofdeFerrieres’s，"saidRenshaw，turningawaywithadisappointedair。Mr。Nottwouldhaveaskedanotherquestion，butwithanabrupt"Good-night"theyoungmanenteredhisroom，lockedthedoor，andthrewhimselfonhisbedtoreflectwithoutinterruption。

ButifhewasinnomoodtostandNott’sfatuousconjectures，hewaslessinclinedtobesatisfiedwithhisown。Hadhebeenagaincarriedawaythroughhisimpulsesevokedbythecapricesofaprettycoquetteandtheabsurdtheoriesofherhalfimbecilefather？HadhebrokenfaithwithSleightandremainedintheshipfornothing，andwouldnothischangeofresolutionappeartobetheresultofSleight’snote？ButwhyhadtheLascarbeenhauntingtheshipbefore？Inthemidstoftheseconjectureshefellasleep。

VII

BetweenthreeandfourinthemorningthecloudsbrokeoverthePontiac，andthemoon，ridinghigh，pickedoutinblackandsilverthelonghulkthatlaycradledbetweentheironshellsofwarehousesandthewoodenframesoftenementsoneitherside。Thegalleyandcoveredgangwaypresentedamassofundefinedshadow，againstwhichthewhitedeckshonebrightly，stretchingtotheforecastleandbows，wherethetinyglassroofofthephotographerglistenedlikeageminthePontiac’screst。Sopeacefulandmotionlessshelaythatshemighthavebeensomepetrifactionofapastagenowfirstexhumedandlaidbaretothecoldlightofthestars。

Neverthelessthiscalmsecuritywaspresentlyinvadedbyasenseofstealthylifeandmotion。Whathadseemedafixedshadowsuddenlydetacheditselffromthedeck，andbegantoslipstanchionbystanchionalongthebulwarkstowardthecompanionway。Atthecabindoorithaltedandcrouchedmotionless。Thenrising，itglidedforwardwiththesamestaccatomovementuntiloppositetheslightelevationoftheforehatch。Suddenlyitdartedtothehatch，unfastenedandlifteditwithaswift，familiardexterity，anddisappearedintheopening。Butasthemoonshoneuponitsvanishingface，itrevealedthewhiteningeyesandteethoftheLascarseaman。

Droppingtothelowerdecklightly，hefelthiswaythroughthedarkpassagebetweenthepartitions，evidentlylessfamiliartohim，haltingbeforeeachdoortolisten。ReturningforwardhereachedthesecondhatchwaythathadattractedRosey’sattention，andnoiselesslyuncloseditsfastenings。Apenetratingsmellofbilgearosefromtheopening。Drawingasmallbull’s-eyelanternfromhisbreasthelitit，andunhesitatinglylethimselfdowntothefurtherdepth。Themovingflashofhislightrevealedtherecessesoftheupperhold，theabyssofthewellamidships，andglancedfromtheshiningbacksofmovingzig-zagsofratsthatseemedtooutlinetheshadowybeamsandtransoms。Disregardingthosecuriousspectatorsofhismovements，heturnedhisattentioneagerlytotheinnercasingsofthehold，thatseemedinonespottohavebeenstrengthenedbyfreshtimbers。Attackingthisstealthilywiththeaidofsometoolshiddeninhisoil-skinclothing，inthelightofthelanternheboreafancifulresemblancetothepredatoryanimalsaroundhim。Thelowcontinuoussoundofraspingandgnawingoftimberwhichfollowedheightenedtheresemblance。Attheendofafewminuteshehadsucceededinremovingenoughoftheouterplankingtoshowthattheentirefillingofthecasingbetweenthestanchionswascomposedofsmallboxes。Draggingoutoneofthemwithfeverisheagernesstothelight，theLascarforceditopen。Intheraysofthebull’s-

eye，awedgedmassofdiscoloredcoinsshowedwithaluridglow。

ThestoryofthePontiacwastrue——thetreasurewasthere！

ButMr。Sleighthadoverlookedthelogicaleffectofthisdiscoveryonthenaturalvillainyofhistool。Intheverymomentofhistriumphantexecutionofhispatron’ssuggestionstheideaofkeepingthetreasuretohimselfflasheduponhismind。HEhaddiscoveredit——whyshouldhegiveituptoanybody？HEhadrunalltherisks;ifheweredetectedatthatmoment，whowouldbelievethathispurposethereatmidnightwasonlytosatisfysomeoneelsethatthetreasurewasstillintact？No。Thecircumstanceswerepropitious;hewouldgetthetreasureoutoftheshipatonce，dropitoverherside，hastilyconcealitinthenearestlotadjacent，andtakeitawayathisconvenience。——Whowouldbethewiserforit？

Butitwasnecessarytoreconnoitrefirst。Heknewthattheloftoverheadwasempty。Heknewthatitcommunicatedwiththealley，forhehadtriedthedoorthatmorning。Hewouldconveythetreasurethere，anddropitintothealley。Theboxeswereheavy。

Eachonewouldrequireaseparatejourneytotheship’sside，buthewouldatleastsecuresomethingifhewereinterrupted。Hestrippedthecasing，andgatheredtheboxestogetherinapile。

Ah，yes，itwasfunnytoothathe——theLascarhound——thed————dnigger——shouldgetwhatbiggerandbulliermenthanhehaddiedfor！Themate’sbloodwasonthoseboxes，ifthesaltwaterhadnotwasheditout。Itwasahellofafightwhentheydraggedthecaptain——Oh，whatwasthat？Wasitthesplashofaratinthebilge，orwhat？

Asuperstitiousterrorhadbeguntoseizehimatthethoughtofblood。Thestiflingholdseemedagainfilledwithstrugglingfigureshehadknown;theairthickwithcriesandblasphemiesthathehadforgotten。Herosetohisfeet，andrunningquicklytothehatchway，leapedtothedeckabove。Allwasquiet。Thedoorleadingtotheemptyloftyieldedtohistouch。Heentered，and，glidingthrough，unbarredandopenedthedoorthatgaveuponthealley。Thecoldairandmoonlightflowedinsilently;thewayofescapewasclear。Bah！Hewouldgobackforthetreasure。

Hehadreachedthepassagewhenthedoorhehadjustopenedwassuddenlydarkened。Turningrapidly，hewasconsciousofagauntfigure，grotesque，silent，anderect，loomingonthethresholdbetweenhimandthesky。Hiddenintheshadow，hemadeastealthysteptowardsit，withanironwrenchinhisupliftedhand。Butthenextmomenthiseyesdilatedwithsuperstitioushorror;theironfellfromthishand，andwithascream，likeafrightenedanimal，heturnedandfledintothepassage。Inthefirstaccessofhisblindterrorhetriedtoreachthedeckabovethroughtheforehatch，butwasstoppedbythesoundofaheavytreadoverhead。

Theimmediatefearofdetectionnowovercamehissuperstition;hewouldhaveevenfacedtheapparitionagaintoescapethroughtheloft;but，beforehecouldreturnthere，otherfootstepsapproachedrapidlyfromtheendofthepassagehewouldhavetotraverse。

Therewasbutonechanceofescapeleftnow——theforeholdhehadjustquitted。Hemighthidethereuntilthealarmwasover。Heglidedbacktothehatch，liftedit，anditclosedsoftlyoverhisheadastheupperhatchwassimultaneouslyraised，andthesmallroundeyesofAbnerNottpeereddownuponit。TheotherfootstepsprovedtobeRenshaw’sbut，attractedbytheopendooroftheloft，heturnedasideandentered。AssoonashedisappearedMr。Nottcautiouslydroppedthroughtheopeningtothedeckbelow，and，goingtotheotherhatchthroughwhichtheLascarhadvanished，deliberatelyrefastenedit。InafewmomentsRenshawreturnedwithalight，andfoundtheoldmansittingonthehatch。

"Theloftdoorwasopen，"saidRenshaw。"There’slittledoubtwhoeverwashereescapedthatway。"

"Surely，"saidNott。TherewasapeculiarlookofMachiavelliansagacityinhisfacewhichirritatedRenshaw。

"Thenyou’resureitwasFerrieresyousawpassbyyourwindowbeforeyoucalledme？"heasked。

Nottnoddedhisheadwithanexpressionofinfiniteprofundity。

"ButyousayhewasgoingFROMtheship。Thenitcouldnothavebeenhewhomadethenoisewehearddownhere。"

"Mebbeeno，andmebbeeyes，"returnedNott，cautiously。"Butifhewasalreadyconcealedinsidetheship，asthatopendoor，whichyousayyoubarredfromtheinside，wouldindicate，whatthedevildidhewantwiththis？"saidRenshaw，producingthemonkey-wrenchhehadpickedup。

Mr。Nottexaminedthetoolcarefully，andshookhisheadwithmomentoussignificance。Nevertheless，hiseyeswanderedtothehatchonwhichhewasseated。

"DidyoufindanythingdisturbedTHERE？"saidRenshaw，followingthedirectionofhiseye。"Wasthathatchfastenedasitisnow？"

"Itwas，"saidNott，calmly。"Butyewouldn’tmindfetchin’meahammerandsomeo’thembignailsfromthelocker，wouldyer，whileIhangroundherejustsoeztomakesureagainstanotherattack。"

Renshawcompliedwithhisrequest;butasNottproceededtogravelynaildownthefasteningsofthehatch，heturnedimpatientlyawaytocompletehisexaminationoftheship。Thedoorsoftheotherloftsandtheirfasteningsappearedsecureandundisturbed。Yetitwasundeniablethatafeloniousentrancehadbeenmade，butbywhomorforwhatpurposestillremaineduncertain。Evennow，RenshawfounditdifficulttoacceptNott’stheorythatdeFerriereswastheaggressorandRoseytheobject，norcouldhejustifyhisownsuspicionthattheLascarhadobtainedasurreptitiousentranceunderSleight’sdirections。WithafeelingthatifRoseyhadbeenpresenthewouldhaveconfessedall，anddemandedfromheranequalconfidence，hebegantohatehisfeeble，purposeless，andinefficientalliancewithherfather，whobelievedbutdarenottaxhisdaughterwithcomplicityinthisoutrage。Whatcouldbedonewithamanwhoseonlyideaofactionatsuchamomentwastonailupanundisturbedentranceinhisinvadedhouse！HewassopreoccupiedwiththesethoughtsthatwhenNottrejoinedhiminthecabinhescarcelyheededhispresence，andwasentirelyobliviousofthefurtivelookswhichtheoldmanfromtimetotimecastuponhisface。

"Ireckonyewouldn’tmind，"brokeinNott，suddenly，"efIaskedafavorofye，Mr。Renshaw。Mebbeeye’llallowit’saskin’toomuchinthematterofexpense;mebbeeye’llallowit’saskin’toomuchinthemattero’time。ButIkalkilatetopayalltheexpense，andifyou’dletmeknowwhatyervallyyertimeat，IreckonIcouldstandthat。WhatI’dbeaskin’isthis。Wouldyemindtakin’aletterfrommetoRosey，andbringin’backananswer？"

Renshawstaredspeechlesslyatthisabsurdrealizationofhiswishofamomentbefore。"Idon’tthinkIunderstandyou，"hestammered。

"P’r’apsnot，"returnedNott，withgreatgravity。"Butthat’snotsomuchmattertoyouezyourtimeandexpenses。"

"ImeantIshouldbegladtogoifIcanbeofanyservicetoyou，"

saidRenshaw，hastily。

"Youkinketchtheseveno’clockboatthismorning，andyou’llreachSanRafaelatten——"

"ButIthoughtMissRoseywenttoPetaluma，"interruptedRenshawquickly。

Nottregardedhimwithanexpressionofpatronizingsuperiority。

"That’swhatweladledouttothepublicgin’rally，andtoFerrersandhisganginpartickler。WeSAIDPetalumey，butifyougotoMadronoCottage，SanRafael，you’llfindRoseythar。"

IfMr。RenshawrequiredanythingmoretoconvincehimofthenecessityofcomingtosomeunderstandingwithRoseyatonceitwouldhavebeenthislastevidenceofherfather’sutterlydarkandsupremelyinscrutabledesigns。Heassentedquickly，andNotthandedhimanote。

"Ye’llbeparticklertogivethisinterherownhands，andwaitforananswer，"saidNottgravely。

Resistingthepropositiontoenterthenandthereintoanelaboratecalculationofthevalueofhistimeandtheexpensesofthetrip，Renshawfoundhimselfatseveno’clockontheSanRafaelboat。

BriefaswasthejourneyitgavehimtimetoreflectuponhiscominginterviewwithRosey。Hehadresolvedtobeginbyconfessingall;theattemptoflastnighthadreleasedhimfromanysenseofdutytoSleight。Besides，hedidnotdoubtthatNott’slettercontainedsomereferencetothisaffaironlyknowntoNott’sdarkandtortuousintelligence。

VIII

MadronoCottagelayattheentranceofalittlecanadaalreadygreenwiththeearlywinterrains，andnestledinathicketoftheharlequinpaintedtreesthatgaveitaname。TheyoungmanwasalittlerelievedtofindthatRoseyhadgonetothepost-officeamileaway，andthathewouldprobablyovertakeherormeetherreturning——alone。Theroad——littlemorethanatrail——woundalongthecrestofthehilllookingacrossthecanadatothelong，dark，heavily-woodedflankofMountTamalpaisthatrosefromthevalleyadozenmilesaway。Acessationofthewarmrain，ariftinthesky，andtherarespectacleofcloudscenery，combinedwithacertainsenseoffreedom，restoredthatlightheartedgayetythatbecamehimmost。AtasuddenturnoftheroadhecaughtsightofRosey’sfigurecomingtowardshim，andquickenedhisstepwiththeimpulsivenessofaboy。Butshesuddenlydisappeared，andwhenheagainsawhershewasontheothersideofthetrailapparentlypickingtheleavesofamanzanita。Shehadalreadyseenhim。

Somehowthefranknessofhisgreetingwaschecked。Shelookedupathimwithcheeksthatretainedenoughoftheircolortosuggestwhyshehadhesitated，andsaid，"YOUhere，Mr。Renshaw？IthoughtyouwereinSacramento。"

"AndIthoughtYOUwereinPetaluma，"heretortedgayly。"Ihavealetterfromyourfather。Thefactis，oneofthosegentlemenwhohasbeenhauntingtheshipactuallymadeanentrylastnight。Whohewas，andwhathecamefor，nobodyknows。Perhapsyourfathergivesyouhissuspicions。"Hecouldnothelplookingathernarrowlyashehandedherthenote。Exceptthatherprettyeyebrowswereslightlyraisedincuriositysheseemedundisturbedassheopenedtheletter。Presentlysheraisedhereyestohis。

"Isthisallfathergaveyou？"

"All。"

"You’resureyouhaven’tdroppedanything？"

"Nothing。Ihavegivenyouallhegaveme。"

"Andthatisallitis。"Sheexhibitedthemissive，aperfectlyblanksheetofpaperfoldedlikeanote！

Renshawfelttheangrybloodglowinhischeeks。"Thisisunpardonable！Iassureyou，MissNott，theremustbesomemistake。

Hehimselfhasprobablyforgottentheinclosure，"hecontinued，yetwithaninwardconvictionthattheactwasperfectlypremeditatedonthepartoftheoldman。

Theyounggirlheldoutherhandfrankly。"Don’tthinkanymoreofit，Mr。Renshaw。Fatherisforgetfulattimes。Buttellmeaboutlastnight。"

InafewwordsMr。RenshawbrieflybutplainlyrelatedthedetailsoftheattemptuponthePontiac，fromthemomentthathehadbeenawakenedbyNott，tohisdiscoveryoftheunknowntrespasser’sflightbytheopendoortotheloft。Whenhehadfinished，hehesitated，andthentakingRosey’shand，saidimpulsively，"YouwillnotbeangrywithmeifItellyouall？YourfatherfirmlybelievesthattheattemptwasmadebytheoldFrenchman，deFerrieres，withaviewofcarryingyouoff。"

Adozenreasonsotherthantheoneherfatherwouldhaveattributedittomighthavecalledthebloodtoherface。Butonlyinnocencecouldhavebroughtthelookofastonishedindignationtohereyesassheansweredquickly：

"SoTHATwaswhatyouwerelaughingat？"

"Notthat，MissNott，"saidtheyoungmaneagerly："thoughIwishtoGodIcouldaccusemyselfofnothingmoredisloyal。Donotspeak，Ibeg，"headdedimpatiently，asRoseywasabouttoreply。

"Ihavenorighttohearyou;IhavenorighttoevenstandinyourpresenceuntilIhaveconfessedeverything。IcametothePontiac;

Imadeyouracquaintance，MissNott，throughafraudaswickedasanythingyourfatherchargestodeFerrieres。Iamnotacontractor。IneverwasanhonestlodgerinthePontiac。Iwassimplyaspy。"

"Butyoudidn’tmeantobe——itwassomemistake，wasn’tit？"saidRosey，quitewhite，butmorefromsympathywiththeoffender’semotionthanhorrorattheoffense。

"IamafraidIdidmeanit。Butbearwithmeforafewmomentslongerandyoushallknowall。It’salongstory。Willyouwalkon，and——takemyarm？Youdonotshrinkfromme，MissNott。Thankyou。Iscarcelydeservethekindness。"

IndeedsolittledidRoseyshrinkthathewasconsciousofaslightreassuringpressureonhisarmastheymovedforward，andforthemomentIfeartheyoungmanfeltlikeexaggeratinghisoffenseforthesakeofproportionatesympathy。"Doyouremember，"hecontinued，"oneeveningwhenItoldyousomeseatales，yousaidyoualwaysthoughttheremustbesomestoryaboutthePontiac？

TherewasastoryofthePontiac，MissNott——awickedstory——aterriblestory——whichImighthavetoldyou，whichIOUGHTtohavetoldyou——whichwasthestorythatbroughtmethere。Youwereright，too，insayingthatyouthoughtIhadknownthePontiacbeforeIsteppedfirstonherdeckthatday。Ihad。"

HelaidhisdisengagedhandacrosslightlyonRosey’s，asiftoassurehimselfthatshewaslistening。

"Iwasatthattimeasailor。Ihadbeenfoolenoughtorunawayfromcollege，thinkingitafineromanticthingtoshipbeforethemastforavoyageroundtheworld。Iwasalittledisappointed，perhaps，butImadethebestofit，andintwoyearsIwassecondmateofawhalerlyinginalittleharborofoneoftheuncivilizedislandsofthePacific。WhilewewereatanchorthereaFrenchtradingvesselputin，apparentlyforwater。ShehadthedregsofamixedcrewofLascarsandPortuguese，whosaidtheyhadlosttherestoftheirmenbydesertion，andthatthecaptainandmatehadbeencarriedoffbyfever。Therewassomethingsoqueerintheirstorythatourskippertookthelawinhisownhands，andputmeonboardofherwithasalvagecrew。ButthatnighttheFrenchcrewmutinied，cutthecables，andwouldhavegottoseaifwehadnotbeenarmedandprepared，andmanagedtodrivethembelow。Whenwehadgotthemunderhatchesforafewhourstheyparleyed，andofferedtogoquietlyashore。Aswewereshortofhandsandunabletotakethemwithus，andaswehadnoevidenceagainstthem，weletthemgo，tooktheshiptoCallao，turnedherovertotheauthorities，lodgedaclaimforsalvage，andcontinuedourvoyage。

Whenwereturnedwefoundthetruthofthestorywasknown。ShehadbeenaFrenchtraderfromMarseilles，ownedbyhercaptain;hercrewhadmutiniedinthePacific，killedtheirofficersandtheonlypassenger——theownerofthecargo。TheyhadmadeawaywiththecargoandatreasureofnearlyhalfamillionofSpanishgoldfortradingpurposeswhichbelongedtothepassenger。IncourseoftimetheshipwassoldforsalvageandputintotheSouthAmericantradeuntilthebreakingoutoftheCaliforniangoldexcitement，whenshewassentwithacargotoSanFrancisco。ThatshipwasthePontiacwhichyourfatherbought。"

Aslightshudderranthroughthegirl’sframe。"Iwish——Iwishyouhadn’ttoldme，"shesaid。"Ishallneverclosemyeyesagaincomfortablyonboardofher，Iknow。"

"IwouldsaythatyouhadpurifiedherofALLstainsofherpast——

buttheremaybeonethatremains。AndTHATinmostpeople’seyeswouldbenodetraction。Youlookpuzzled，MissNott——butIamcomingtotheexplanationandtheendofmystory。Ashipofwarwassenttotheislandtopunishthemutineersandpirates，forsuchtheywere，buttheycouldnotbefound。Aprivateexpeditionwassenttodiscoverthetreasurewhichtheyweresupposedtohaveburied，butinvain。AbouttwomonthsagoMr。SleighttoldmeoneofhisshipmateshadsenthimaLascarsailorwhohadtodisposeofavaluablesecretregardingthePontiacforapercentage。ThatsecretwasthatthetreasurewasnevertakenbythemutineersoutofthePontiac！Theywereabouttolandandburyitwhenweboardedthem。TheytookadvantageoftheirimprisonmentunderhatchestoBURYITINTHESHIP。TheyhiditintheholdsosecurelyandsafelythatitwasneverdetectedbyusortheCallaoauthorities。Iwasthenasked，asonewhoknewthevessel，toundertakeaprivateexaminationofher，withaviewofpurchasingherfromyourfatherwithoutawakeninghissuspicions。Iassented。

Youhavemyconfessionnow，MissNott。Youknowmycrime。Iamatyourmercy。"

Rosey’sarmonlytightenedaroundhisown。Hereyessoughthis。

"Andyoudidn’tfindanything？"shesaid。

ThequestionsoundedsooddlylikeSleight’s，thatRenshawreturnedalittlestiffly——

"Ididn’tlook。"

"Why？"askedRoseysimply。

"Because，"stammeredRenshaw，withanuneasyconsciousnessofhavingexaggeratedhissentiment，"itdidn’tseemhonorable;itdidn’tseemfairtoyou。"

"Oh，yousilly！youmighthavelookedandtoldME。"

"But，"saidRenshaw，"doyouthinkthatwouldhavebeenfairtoSleight？"

"Asfairtohimastous。For，don’tyousee，itwouldn’tbelongtoanyofus。Itwouldbelongtothefriendsorthefamilyofthemanwholostit。"

"Buttherewerenoheirs，"saidRenshaw。"Thatwasprovedbysomeimpostorwhopretendedtobehisbrother，andlibelledthePontiacatCallao，butthecourtsdecidedhewasalunatic。"

"Thenitbelongstothepoorpirateswhoriskedtheirownlivesforit，ratherthantoSleight，whodidnothing。"Shewassilentforamoment，andthenresumedwithenergy，"Ibelievehewasatthebottomofthatattacklastnight。"

"Ihavethoughtsotoo，"saidRenshaw。

"ThenImustgobackatonce，"shecontinuedimpulsively。"Fathermustnotbeleftalone。"

"NormustYOU，"saidRenshaw，quickly。"Doletmereturnwithyou，andsharewithyouandyourfatherthetroubleIhavebroughtuponyou。Donot，"headdedinalowertone，"deprivemeoftheonlychanceofexpiatingmyoffense，ofmakingmyselfworthyyourforgiveness。"

"Iamsure，"saidRosey，loweringherlidsandhalfwithdrawingherarm，"IamsureIhavenothingtoforgive。Youdidnotbelievethetreasurebelongedtousanymorethantoanybodyelse，untilyouknewME——"

"Thatistrue，"saidtheyoungman，attemptingtotakeherhand。

"Imean，"saidRosey，blushing，andshowingadistractingrowoflittleteethinoneofherinfrequentlaughs，"oh，youknowwhatI

mean。"Shewithdrewherarmgently，andbecameinterestedintheselectionofcertainwaysidebayleavesastheypassedalong。"Allthesame，Idon’tbelieveinthistreasure，"shesaidabruptly，asiftochangethesubject。"Idon’tbelieveiteverwashiddeninsidethePontiac。"

"Thatcaneasilybeascertainednow，"saidRenshaw。

"Butit’sapityyoudidn’tfinditoutwhileyouwereaboutit，"

saidRosey。"Itwouldhavesavedsomuchtalkandtrouble。"

"IhavetoldyouwhyIdidn’tsearchtheship，"respondedRenshaw，withaslightbitterness。"ButitseemsIcouldonlyavoidbeingagreatrascalbybecomingagreatfool。"

"Youneverintendedtobearascal，"saidRosey，earnestly，"andyoucouldn’tbeafool，exceptinheedingwhatasillygirlsays。

Ionlymeantifyouhadtakenmeintoyourconfidenceitwouldhavebeenbetter。"

"MightInotsaythesametoyouregardingyourfriend，theoldFrenchman？"returnedRenshaw。"WhatifIweretoconfesstoyouthatIlatelysuspectedhimofknowingthesecret，andoftryingtogainyourassistance？"

Insteadofindignantlyrepudiatingthesuggestion，totheyoungman’sgreatdiscomfiture，Roseyonlyknitherprettybrows，andremainedforsomeminutessilent。Presentlysheaskedtimidly，——

"Doyouthinkitwrongtotellanotherperson’ssecretfortheirowngood？"

"No，"saidRenshaw，promptly。

"ThenI’lltellyouMonsieurdeFerrieres’s！ButonlybecauseI

believefromwhatyouhavejustsaidthathewillturnouttohavesomerighttothetreasure。"

Thenwithkindlingeyes，andavoiceeloquentwithsympathy，RoseytoldthestoryofheraccidentaldiscoveryofdeFerrieres’smiserableexistenceintheloft。Clothingitwiththeunconsciouspoetryofherfresh，youngimagination，shelightlypassedoverhisantiquegallantryandgrotesqueweakness，exaltingonlyhislonelysufferingsandmysteriouswrongs。Renshawlistened，lostbetweenshameforhislatesuspicionsandadmirationforherthoughtfuldelicacy，untilshebegantospeakofdeFerrieres’sstrangeallusionstotheforeignpapersinhisportmanteau。"Ithinksomewerelawpapers，andIamalmostcertainIsawthewordCallaoprintedononeofthem。"

"Itmaybeso，"saidRenshaw，thoughtfully。"TheoldFrenchmanhasalwayspassedforaharmless，wanderingeccentric。Ihardlythinkpubliccuriosityhaseverevensoughttoknowhisname，muchlesshishistory。ButhadwenotbetterfirsttrytofindifthereIS

anypropertybeforeweexaminehisclaimstoit？"

"Asyouplease，"saidRosey，withaslightpout;"butyouwillfinditmucheasiertodiscoverhimthanhistreasure。It’salwayseasiertofindthethingyou’renotlookingfor。"

"Untilyouwantit，"saidRenshaw，withsuddengravity。

"Howprettyitlooksoverthere，"saidRosey，turningherconsciouseyestotheoppositemountain。

"Very。"

Theyhadreachedthetopofthehill，andintheneardistancethechimneyofMadronoCottagewasevennowvisible。Attheexpectedsighttheyunconsciouslystopped——unconsciouslydisappointed。

Roseybroketheembarrassingsilence。

"There’sanotherwayhome，butit’saroundaboutway，"shesaidtimidly。

"Letustakeit，"saidRenshaw。

Shehesitated。"Theboatgoesatfour，andwemustreturnto-

night。"

"Themorereasonwhyweshouldmakethemostofourtimenow，"saidRenshawwithafaintsmile。"To-morrowallthingsmaybechanged;

to-morrowyoumayfindyourselfanheiress，MissNott。To-morrow，"

headded，withaslighttremorinhisvoice，"Imayhaveearnedyourforgiveness，onlytosayfarewelltoyouforever。Letmekeepthissunshine，thispicture，thiscompanionshipwithyoulongenoughtosaynowwhatperhapsImustnotsayto-morrow。"

Theyweresilentforamoment，andthenbyacommoninstinctturnedtogetherintoanarrowtrail，scarcewideenoughfortwo，thatdivergedfromthestraightpracticalpathbeforethem。Itwasindeedaroundaboutwayhome，soroundabout，infact，thatastheywanderedonitseemedeventodoubleonitstrack，occasionallylingeringlongandbecomingindistinctundertheshadowofmadronoandwillow;atonetimestoppingblindlybeforeafallentreeinthehollow，wheretheyhadquitelostit，andhadtositdowntorecallit;aroughway，oftenrequiringthemutualhelpofeachother’shandsandeyestotreadtogetherinsecurity;anuncertainway，nottobefoundwithoutwhisperedconsultationandconcession，andyetawayeventuallybringingthemhandinhand，happyandhopeful，tothegateofMadronoCottage。AndiftherewasonlyjusttimeforRoseytopreparetotaketheboat，itwasduetothedeviousnessoftheway。IfastraycurlwaslyinglooseonRosey’scheek，andalonghairhadcaughtinRenshaw’sbutton，itwasowingtotheroughnessoftheway;andifinthetonesoftheirvoicesandintheglancesoftheireyestherewasamaturerseriousness，itwasduetothedimuncertaintyofthepaththeyhadtraveled，andwouldhereaftertreadtogether。

IX

WhenMr。NotthadsatisfiedhimselfofRenshaw’sdeparture，hecoollyboltedthedoorattheheadofthecompanionway，thuscuttingoffanycommunicationwiththelowerdeck。Takingalongriflefromtherackabovehisberth，hecarefullyexaminedthehammerandcap，andthencautiouslylethimselfdownthroughtheforehatchtothedeckbelow。Afteradeliberatesurveyofthestillintactfasteningsofthehatchovertheforehold，heproceededquietlytounloosethemagainwiththeaidofthetoolsthatstilllaythere。Whenthehatchwasoncemorefreeheliftedit，and，withdrawingafewfeetfromtheopening，sathimselfdown，rifleinhand。Aprofoundsilencereignedthroughoutthelowerdeck。

"Yekinrizeupouto’that，"saidNottgently。

Therewasastealthyrustlebelowthatseemedtoapproachthehatch，andthenwithasuddenboundtheLascarleapedonthedeck。

ButatthesameinstantNottcoveredhimwithhisrifle。Aslightshadeofdisappointmentandsurprisehadcrossedtheoldman’sface，andcloudedhissmallroundeyesattheapparitionoftheLascar，buthishandwasnonethelessfirmuponthetriggerasthefrightenedprisonersankonhisknees，withhishandsclaspedintheattitudeofsupplicationformercy。

"Efyou’rethinkin’o’skippin’aforeI’vedonewithyer，"saidNottwithlaboredgentleness，"Ioughterwarnyethatit’smystyletodropInjinsattwohundredyards，andthisdeckain’tanywheremor’nfifty。It’sanuncomfortablestyle，anastystyle——butit’sMYstyle。IthoughtI’dtellyer，soyercouldtakeiteasywhereyouair。Where’sFerrers？"

Evenintheman’sinsaneterror，hisutterbewildermentatthequestionwasevident。"Ferrers？"hegasped;"don’tknowhim，I

sweartoGod，boss。"

"P’r’aps，"saidNott，withinfinitecunning，"yerdon’tknowthemanezkemintotheloftfromthealleylastnight——p’r’apsyerdidn’tseeanairyFrenchmanwithadyedmoustache，eh？Ithoughtthatwouldfetchye！"hecontinued，asthemanstartedattheevidencethathisvisionoflastnightwasalivingman。"P’r’apsyouandhimdidn’tbreakintothisshiplastnight，jisttorunoffwithmydarterRosey？P’r’apsyerdon’tknowRosey，eh？P’r’apsyerdon’tknowezFerrerswantstomarryher，andhezbeenhangin’

roundyereversinceheleft——eh？"

Scarcelybelievingtheevidenceofhissensesthattheoldmanwhosetreasurehehadbeentryingtostealwasutterlyignorantofhisrealoffense，andyetuncertainofthepenaltyoftheothercrimeofwhichhewasaccused，theLascarwrithedhisbodyandstammeredvaguely，"Mercy！Mercy！"

"Well，"saidNott，cautiously，"ezIreckonthehideofadeadChineeniggerain’tanymorevallyblethanthatofadeadInjin，I

don’tcareefIletuponyer——seein’thecussednessain’tyours。

ButefIletyeroffthisonce，youmusttakeamessagetoFerrersfromme。"

"Letmeoffthistime，boss，andIsweartoGodIwill，"saidtheLascareagerly。

"YekinsaytoFerrers——letmesee——"deliberatedNott，leaningonhisriflewithcautiousreflection。"YekinsaytoFerrerslikethis——sezyou，’Ferrers，’sezyou，’theoldmansezthataforeyouwentawayyouseztohim，sezyou，"Itakemyhonorwithme，"sezyou’——haveyougotthat？"interruptedNottsuddenly。

"Yes，boss。"

"’Itakemyhonorwithme，’sezyou，"repeatedNottslowly。

"’Now，’sezyou——’theoldmansez，sezhe——tellFerrers，sezhe，thathishonorhavin’runawayagin，hesendsitbacktohim，andefheeverketchesitaroundafterthis，he’llshootitonsight。’

Hevyergotthat？"

"Yes，"stammeredthebewilderedcaptive。

"Thengit！"

TheLascarsprangtohisfeetwiththeagilityofapanther，leapedthroughthehatchabovehim，anddisappearedoverthebowoftheshipwithanunhesitatingdirectnessthatshowedthateveryavenueofescapehadbeenalreadycontemplatedbyhim。Slippinglightlyfromthecutwatertotheground，hecontinuedhisflight，onlystoppingattheprivateofficeofMr。Sleight。

WhenMr。RenshawandRoseyNottarrivedonboardthePontiacthatevening，theywereastonishedtofindthepassagebeforethecabincompletelyoccupiedwithtrunksandboxes，andthebulkoftheirhouseholdgoodsapparentlyintheprocessofremoval。Mr。Nott，whowassuperintendingtheworkoftwoChinamen，betrayednotonlynosurpriseattheappearanceoftheyoungpeople，butnottheremotestrecognitionoftheirownbewildermentathisoccupation。

"Kalkilatin’，"heremarkedcasuallytohisdaughter，"you’dratherlookarteryourfixin’s，Rosey，I’veleft’emtillthelast。

P’r’apsyerandMr。Renshawwouldn’tmindsittin’downonthatlockeruntilI’vestrappedthisyerbox。"

"Butwhatdoesitallmean，father？"saidRosey，takingtheoldmanbythelapelsofhissea-jacket，andslightlyemphasizingherquestion。"Whatinthenameofgoodnessareyoudoing？"

"Breakin’camp，Roseydear，breakin’camp，jistezweuster，"

repliedNottwithcheerfulphilosophy。"Kinderlikeoldtimes，ain’tit？Lord，Rosey，"hecontinued，stoppingandfollowingupthereminiscence，withtheendoftheropeinhishandasifitwereaclue，"don’tyemindthatdaywestartedouterLivermorePass，andseedthehullo’theCalifornycoaststretchin’yonder——

eh？Butdon’tyebeskeered，Roseydear，"headdedquickly，asifinrecognitionofthealarmexpressedinherface。"Iain’tturningyeouterhouseandhome;I’vejisthiredthat’ereMadronoCottagefromthePetersontilwekinlookround。"

"Butyou’renotleavingtheship，father，"continuedRosey，impetuously。"Youhaven’tsoldittothatmanSleight？"

Mr。Nottroseandcarefullyclosedthecabindoor。Thendrawingalargewalletfromhispocket，hesaid，"It’ssing’laryeshouldhevgotthenamerightthefirstpop，ain’tit，Rosey？butit’sSleight，sureenough，allthetime。Thisyercheck，"headded，producingapaperfromthedepthsofthewallet，"thisyercheckfor25，000dollarsiswothepaidforitonlytwohoursago。"

"But，"saidRenshaw，springingtohisfeetfuriously，"you’reduped，swindled——betrayed！"

"Youngman，"saidNott，throwingacertaindignityintohishabitualgestureofplacinghishandsonRenshaw’sshoulders，"I

boughtthisyershipfiveyearsagojistezshestoodfor8，000

dollars。Kalkilatin’wotshecostmeinrepairsandtaxes，andwotshebroughtmeinsincethen，accordin’tomyfiggerin’，Idon’tcallaclearprofitof15，000dollarsmuchofaswindle。"

"Tellhimall，"saidRosey，quickly，morealarmedatRenshaw’sdespairingfacethanatthenewsitself。"Tellhimeverything，Dick——Mr。Renshaw;itmaynotbetoolate。"

InavoicehalfchokedwithpassionateindignationRenshawhurriedlyrepeatedthestoryofthehiddentreasure，andtheplottorescueit，promptedfrequentlybyRosey’stenaciousmemoryandassistedbyRosey’sdeftandtactfulexplanations。ButtotheirsurprisetheimperturbablecountenanceofAbnerNottneveraltered;

aslightmoistureofkindlypaternaltoleranceoftheirextravaganceglistenedinhislittleeyes，butnothingmore。

"Eftherewasaparto’thisship，aplankoraboltezIdon’tknow，ezIhevn’ttouchedwithmyownhand，andlookedintowithmyowneyes，tharmightbesuthin’inthatstory。Idon’tletontobeasailorlikeYOU，butezIknowtheshipezaboyknowshisfirsthoss，asawomanknowsherfirstbabby，Ireckontharain’tnotreasureyer，onlessitwasbroughtintothePontiaclastnightbythemchaps。"

"Butareyoumad！Sleightwouldnotpaythreetimesthevalueoftheshipto-dayifhewerenotpositive！AndthatpositiveknowledgewasgainedlastnightbythevillainwhobrokeintothePontiac——nodoubttheLascar。"

"Surely，"saidNott，meditatively。"TheLascar！There’ssuthin’

inthat。ThatLascarIfasteneddownintheholdlastnightunbeknownsttoyou，Mr。Renshaw，andlethimoutagainthismorningekallyunbeknownst。"

"AndyoulethimcarryhisinformationtoSleight——withoutaword！"

saidRenshaw，withasickeningsenseofNott’sutterfatuity。

"Isenthimbackwithamessagetothemanhekemfrom，"saidNott，winkingbothhiseyesatRenshaw，significantly，andmakingsignsbehindhisdaughter’sback。

Rosey，consciousofherlover’sirritation，andmoreeagertosoothehisimpatiencethanfromanyfaithinhersuggestion，interfered。"Whynotexaminetheplacewherehewasconcealed？hemayhaveleftsometracesofhissearch。"

Thetwomenlookedateachother。"Seem’ezI’veturnedthePontiacovertoSleightjistezitstands，Idon’tknowezit’s’xactlyonthesquare，"saidNottdoubtfully。

"You’vearighttoknowatleastWHATyoudelivertohim，"

interruptedRenshawbrusquely："Bringalantern。"

FollowedbyRosey，RenshawandNotthurriedlysoughtthelowerdeckandtheopenhatchoftheforehold。Thetwomenleapeddownfirstwiththelantern，andthenassistedRoseytodescend。Renshawtookastepforwardandutteredacry。

Theraysofthelanternfellontheship’sside。TheLascarhad，duringhisforcedseclusion，putbacktheboxesoftreasureandreplacedtheplanking，yetnotsocarefullybutthatthequickeyeofRenshawhaddiscoveredit。Thenextmomenthehadstrippedawaytheplankingagain，andthehurriedly-restoredboxwhichtheLascarhadfoundfelltothedeck，scatteringpartofitsringingcontents。Roseyturnedpale;Renshaw’seyesflashedfire;onlyAbnerNottremainedquietandimpassive。

"Areyousatisfiedyouhavebeenduped？"saidRenshawpassionately。

TotheirsurpriseMr。Nottstoopeddown，andpickinguponeofthecoinshandeditgravelytoRenshaw。"Wouldyemindheftin’that’erecoininyourhand——feelin’it，bitin’it，scrapin’itwithaknife，andkinderseein’howitcompareswithothercoins？"

"Whatdoyoumean？"saidRenshaw。

"Imeanthatthatyercoin——thatALLthecoinsinthisyerbox，thatallthecoinsinthemotherboxes——andther’sfortyon’em——isallandeveryoneof’emcounterfeits！"

ThepiecedroppedunconsciouslyfromRenshaw’shand，andstrikinganotherthatlayonthedeckgaveoutadull，suspiciousring。

"TheywazcounterfeitsgotupbythemDutchsupercargosharpsfordealin’withtheInjinsandcannibalsandSouthSeaheathensezbowsdowntowoodandstone。Ifsatisfiedthemezwellezthembuttonsyeputsinmissionaryboxes，Ireckon，and’ceptingezfreight，don’tcostnothin’。Ifound’emtuckedintheribso’theoldPontiacwhenIboughther，andInailed’emupintharlesttheyshouldfallintodishonesthands。It’saluckything，Mr。

Renshaw，thattheycomesintothehonestfingersofasquaremanlikeSleight——ain’tit？"

Heturnedhissmall，guilelesseyesuponRenshawwithsuchchild-

likesimplicitythatitcheckedthehystericallaughthatwasrisingtotheyoungman’slips。

"Butdidanyoneknowofthisbutyourself？"

"Ireckonnot。Ioncesuspicionedthatoldcap’enBowers，whowasalwaysfoolin’roundtheholdyer，musthevnoticedthebulgeinthecasin’，butwhenhetooktoaxin’questionsIaxedothers——yeknowmystyle，Rosey？Come。"

Heledthewaygrimlybacktothecabin，theyoungpeoplefollowing;butturningsuddenlyatthecompanionwayheobservedRenshaw’sarmaroundthewaistofhisdaughter。

Hesaidnothinguntiltheyhadreachedthecabin，whenheclosedthedoorsoftly，andlookingatthembothgently，saidwithinfinitecunning——

"Efitisn’ttoolate，Rosey，yekintellthisyoungmanezhowI

forgivehimforhavin’diskiveredTHETREASUREofthePontiac。"……

ItwasnearlyeighteenmonthsafterwardsthatMr。Nottonemorningenteredtheroomofhisson-in-lawatMadronoCottage。Drawinghimaside，hesaidwithhisoldairofmystery，"NowezRosey’sailin’

anddon’tseemtobesoeagertodiskiverwhat’sbecomeofMr。

Ferrers，Idon’tmindtellin’yethatoverayearagoIheardhediedsuddenlyinSacramento。Tharwassuthin’inthepaperabouthisbein’alunaticandclaimin’tobearelationtosomebodyonthePontiac;butlikeseznotit’sonlythewaythosenewspaperfellowsgotholdofthestoryofhiswantin’tomarryRosey。"