ave the villain dogging Coffin, tracking him to
Percuil, and shamming drunk to get carried over the ferry in pursuit.
On Bogue's testimony he was as sober as a judge at St. Mawes, and
drank but one glass of grog there, and from St. Mawes to Percuil is
but a step, mainly by footpath over the fields, with no public-house
on the way."

"H'm," said Miss Belcher; "and yet he couldn't have been following
the man to murder him, or he must have taken more care to cover up
his traces. All his concern seems to have been to follow Coffin
without being seen by him. Is that all?"

"My dear Lydia, consider the amount of time I've had! Almost before
I'd finished with Bogue, and certainly before the filly was well
rested, Mr. Goodfellow here had crossed to Falmouth and was back
again, bringing the cupboard--"

"Yes, Jack; you have done very well--surprisingly well. But I'll not
hand over my guinea until we've examined the cupboard. Here, Mr.
Goodfellow"--she cleared a space amid the breakfast things--"be so
good as to lift it on to the table. Harry, where's the key?"

I produced it.

"A nice bit of work--and Dutch, by the look of it," she commented,
pausing to admire the inlaid pattern as she inserted the key.
She turned it, and the door fell back, askew on its broken hinges.

Mr. Goodfellow had carried the cupboard with infinite care, but the
contents, I need not say, had mixed themselves up in wild disorder,
though nothing was broken--not even the pot of guava-jelly.
They included a superannuated watch in a loose silver case, a medal
(in bronze) struck to commemorate Lord Howe's famous victory of the
First of June, two pieces-of-eight and a spade guinea (much clipped);
a small china mug painted with libellous portraits of King George
III. and his consort; a printed pamphlet on Admiral Byng; two strings
of shells; a mourning-ring with a lock of hair set between two pearls
under glass; another ring with a tiny picture of a fountain and urn,
and a weeping willow; a paper containing a baby's caul and a sampler
worked with the A.B.C. and the Lord's Prayer and signed "A.C.,
1785;" a gourd, a few glass beads, and a Chinese opium-pipe; and
lastly, a thick paper roll bound in yellow-stained parchment.
The roll was tied about with string, and the string was sealed, in
coarse wax without imprint.

Miss Belcher dived a hand into a fold of her skirt, and drew forth a
most unladylike clasp-knife.

"Now for it!" said Miss Belcher.