discovered; so that, in fact, he owed their possession to chance, and
not to skilfulness. Even the boy Springall had seen through the
Italian's character; but Dalton had been so accustomed to find his
bravery overwhelmingly successful, and consequently to trust to it
almost implicitly, that his fine intellect was suffered to lie dormant,
where it would have often saved him from much that he endured. If he had
thought deeply, he would have seen the impropriety of trusting the
Fire-fly at any time to Jeromio's command, because, as he had found him
guilty of so many acts of treachery towards others, he should have
known, that it only needed sufficient bribery, or inducement of any
other kind, to turn that treachery upon himself.

His last interview with Sir Robert Cecil had made him aware that the
baronet had really lost the greater part of the influence he once
maintained at Whitehall; and since he had been so much off and on the
English coast, he had heard enough to convince him that Cromwell granted
few favours to those who had not much usefulness to bestow in return.
Sir Robert was broken in intellect and constitution: he had no son to
whom the Protector could look for support in case of broil or
disturbance, and the Buccaneer was ignorant of the strong and friendly
ties that had united the families for so long a series of years. He had
fancied that fear would compel Sir Willmott Burrell to press his suit;
but the atrocious attempt upon his life assured him that there was
nothing to expect from him but the blackest villany. When, therefore, he
despatched, with all the ferocity of a true Buccaneer, the head of
Jeromio as a wedding-present to Sir Willmott, he at the same time
transmitted to the Protector, by a trusty messenger, the Master of
Burrell's own directions touching the destruction of the Jewish Zillah,
and stated that if his Highness would grant him a free pardon, which he
had certain weighty reasons for desiring, he believed it was in his
power to produce the Rabbi's daughter. His communication concluded by
entreating that his Highness would prevent the marriage of the Master of
Burrell, at all events until the following week.

His envoy had particular orders neither to eat, drink, nor sleep, until
he had found means of placing the packet in the hands of the Protector.
Dalton having so far eased his mind, bitterly cursed his folly that he
had not in the first instance, instead of proceeding to St. Vallery in