see the chaloupe full of the captain's
men rowing hard towards the vessel. She had just come out of the river
mouth and was doubling round the banks. We carried the man on his
ladder to the kitchen and we and the women did all we could, but he
remained like a log. So after a time the two men (who said they had
come along the dyke soon after midnight, on foot, as they thought it
would be more secret, and had watched all night in the bent) wanted to
eat and drink and rest. They had missed their game, the big man said;
they had been sent to find out what sort of devil's tricks were being
played on in the island unbeknown to Sir Adrian;--but it was the
devil's luck altogether, for the smugglers had slipped away and would
not be seen in this part of the world again. That is the way the fat
man spoke. The other had nothing to say, but swallowed our bacon and
our beer as if he did not care. And then, your honour, they told me I
should have to lend them the yawl to go on land, and go myself to
help, and take the body with us. And as he was speaking, I saw Moggie
the wife, who had been backwards and forwards serving them, looking at
me very straight but without blowing a word, as if she had fear. And
all at once I felt there was something on foot. So I drew the men more
beer and said I would see after the yawl. Outside the door the wife
whispered: 'Upstairs, quick! Renny,' and she herself whisked back into
the kitchen so that she should not cause suspicion to those
others--Ah, your honour, that is a woman!"

"Well, well," interrupted his master, anxiously.

"Well, I went upstairs, four by four; and there, in your honour's
room, without an attempt to conceal himself (when any moment it might
have entered into those brigands' heads downstairs to search the
place), there was Monsieur the Captain, raging up and down, like a
wolf in cage, as I had the honour to describe before. No wonder Moggie
was afraid for him. A woman is quick to feel danger ahead. He looked
at me as if he did not know me, his face all unmade. 'You know what
has happened;' he says. 'Am I not the most unfortunate...? All is
lost.' 'With respect,' says I; 'nothing is lost so long as life is
safe, but it is not a good thing Monsieur the Captain that you are
here, like this, when you should be on your good ship as many miles
away as she can make. Are you mad?' to him I say, and he to me, 'I
think I am.' 'At least let me hide you,' I beg of him, 'I know of many
bea