‘Good-bye,’ cried she; ’and have a care how you touch the treasure; it was evilly come by, and will bring a curse with it.’

‘Good-bye, good-bye,’ I said, and dropped on to the soft leafy bottom of the wood.

CHAPTER 14

THE WELL-HOUSE

For those thou mayest not look upon
Are gathering fast round the yawning stone—­Scott

It wanted yet half an hour of midnight when I found myself at the shaft of the marble quarry, and before I had well set foot on the steps to descend, heard Elzevir’s voice challenging out of the darkness below.  I gave back ’Prosper the Bonaventure’, and so came home again to sleep the last time in our cave.

The next night was well suited to flight.  There was a spring-tide with full moon, and a light breeze setting off the land which left the water smooth under the cliff.  We saw the Bonaventure cruising in the Channel before sundown, and after the darkness fell she lay close in and took us off in her boat.  There were several men on board of her that I knew, and they greeted us kindly, and made much of us.  I was indeed glad to be among them again, and yet felt a pang at leaving our dear Dorset coast, and the old cave that had been hospital and home to me for two months.

The wind set us up-Channel, and by daybreak they put us ashore at Cowes, so we walked to Newport and came there before many were stirring.  Such as we saw in the street paid no heed to us but took us doubtless for some carter and his boy who had brought corn in from the country for the Southampton packet, and were about early to lead the team home again.  ’Tis a little place enough this Newport, and we soon found the Bugle; but Elzevir made so good a carter that the landlord did not know him, though he had his acquaintance before.  So they fenced a little with one another.

‘Have you bed and victuals for a plain country man and his boy?’ says Elzevir.

‘Nay, that I have not,’ says the landlord, looking him up and down, and not liking to take in strangers who might use their eyes inside, and perhaps get on the trail of the Contraband. ’’Tis near the Summer Statute and the place over full already.  I cannot move my gentlemen, and would bid you try the Wheatsheaf, which is a good house, and not so full as this.’

’Ay, ’tis a busy time, and ‘tis these fairs that make things prosper,’ and Elzevir marked the last word a little as he said it.

The man looked harder at him, and asked, ‘Prosper what?’ as if he were hard of hearing.

‘Prosper the Bonaventure,’ was the answer, and then the landlord caught Elzevir by the hand, shaking it hard and saying, ’Why, you are Master Block, and I expecting you this morn, and never knew you.’  He laughed as he stared at us again, and Elzevir smiled too.  Then the landlord led us in.  ‘And this is?’ he said, looking at me.