which scratched my face, knees, and knocking elbows, to a commodious
rounded chamber. It was floored, walled, and roofed with wood. But I
could make out, by sounding, the stone arching, and behind that again
the solid earth. It was, as I now know, the cellar or ice house of the
monks which they had built for themselves on the verge of the Moat to
cool their wine in torrid summers.

Hither the woman, Aphra Orrin, accompanied her brother, my captor.
They searched me thoroughly, as though I were a postman with registered
letters and other valuables, but, as was my habit, they found upon my
person no store of valuables--fairs and trysts being no fit places to
make parade of one's gear.

Among some almanacs, jottings of bargains, and other things, these two
came on the cheque for three hundred pounds on the bank of Thorsby, at
which Mr. Lightbody, the auctioneer, did his business--as they said,
for the purpose of giving him a day extra--which, indeed, an honest man
might very well do, paying out on many occasions before he had received
the price from the buyer.

At the sight of that they were much bewildered, and did not, as I
judge, know what to do. Finally, after having taken away the cheque
and considered upon it, or perhaps taken the advice of a third person,
they brought it back to me, and offered me my life in exchange for my
signature upon the back of that piece of paper.

But to this I would not agree. I regarded the position all round, and
saw clearly that as soon as I had signed, it would be as good as
signing my death warrant. So I judged it best to put them off with
half promises, and partial encouragements. As, "that I could not bring
myself to rob my family of so great a sum," or "that the bank would
expect me to present the cheque in person." Both of which were mere
vanities--for, of course, the cheque was made out to me personally and
would be paid over my signature, which was as well known to the
cashiers of the Thorsby bank as that of the manager himself.

So, being countered in this, the man with the curls was for putting his
knife into me instanter, but the tall woman took him apart, and I could
hear her pounding the table with her fist, persuading him. With three
hundred pounds, so she argued, they could all get out of the country,
supposing that Mr. Stennis's money was not available. I was, I learned
from her words, their anchor to windward. They had expected I should
bring back the mo