he ruins of Pulwick."

"Impossible!" ejaculated the other aghast. "Listen, Jack, unfortunate
man! When I heard of the--the misfortune, and of your folly in
remaining, I instantly planned a last meeting for you. As it fell
out, my wife has a fancy to spend the night here: I have asked her to
bring her sister with her. But this inconceivably desperate plan of
leaving in your ship, in broad light of day, frustrates all I would
have done for you. For God's sake let us contrive some way of warning
the _Peregrine_ off till midnight; keep hidden, yourself; do not
wilfully run your head into the noose!"

But the young man had stopped short in his tramping, and stood looking
at his friend, with a light of hope flaming in his eye.

"You have done that, Adrian! You have thought of that!" he repeated,
as if mechanically. A new whirlwind of schemes rushed through his
mind. For a while he remained motionless, with his gaze fixed on Sir
Adrian, putting order in his own thoughts with that genius of
precision and swiftness which, in strong natures, rises to meet a
crisis. Then advancing, and seizing him by both hands:

"Adrian," he cried, in something more like his own voice, again, "I
shall yet owe my happiness to you, to this thought, this sublime
thought of your heart!"

And, as Sir Adrian, astounded, unable to understand this extremity of
hopefulness, following upon the previous depth of misery, stared back
at him, speechless, the latter proceeded in still more surprising
fashion.

"Now, you listen to me, this time. I have been selfish in running the
risk of having you mixed up in my dangerous affairs. But, God is my
witness, I acted under the belief that all was absolutely secure. Now,
however, you must do nothing more that might implicate you. Remember,
do nothing to let people suspect that you have seen me to-day. Renny,
too, must keep close counsel. You know nothing of my future movements.
Remain here for a while, do not even look out of the window.... I fear
we shall not meet for a long time. Meanwhile, God bless you--God bless
you!"

After another wrench of the hands he held in his, the sailor released
them and fairly ran out of the room, without heeding his friend's
bewildered expostulations. At the door of the keep he met Rene again.
And after a brief but earnest colloquy, the man whose life was now
forfeit to the community and upon whose head there would soon be a
price, was quietly walking along the causeway, maki