ged and paid as punctual as the bank for the benefit of all their
belongings. There were times when the sailors grumbled a little because
they had no ropes to climb; but of any unfriendly rope impending they
were too wise to have much fear. They knew that they had not done the
deed, and they felt assured that twelve good men would never turn round
in their box to believe it.

Their captain took the same view of the case. He had very little doubt
of their acquittal if they were defended properly; and of that a far
wealthier man than himself, the Chancellor of the Exchequer of free
trade, Master Rideout of Malton, would take good care, if the money left
with Dr. Upround failed. The surrender of Robin would simply hurt them,
unless they were convicted, and in that case he would yield himself. Sir
Duncan did not understand these points, and condemned his son unjustly.
And Mordacks was no longer there to explain such questions in his sharp
clear way.

Being in this sadly disappointed state, and not thoroughly delivered
from that renal chill (which the northeast wind, coming over the leather
of his valise, had inflicted), this gentleman, like a long-pendulous
grape with the ventilators open, was exposed to the delicate insidious
billing of little birds that love something good. It might be
wrong--indeed, it must be wrong, and a foul slur upon fair sweet
love--to insinuate that Indian gold, or rank, or renown, or vague
romance, contributed toward what came to pass. Miss Janetta Upround, up
to this time of her life, had laughed at all the wanton tricks of Cupid;
and whenever the married women told her that her time would be safe to
come, and then she might understand their behavior, they had always been
ordered to go home and do their washing. And this made it harder for her
to be mangled by the very tribulation she had laughed at.

Short little sighs were her first symptom, and a quiet way of going up
the stairs--which used to be a noisy process with her--and then a desire
to know something of history, and a sudden turn of mind toward soup. Sir
Duncan had a basin every day at twelve o'clock, and Janetta had orders
to see him do it, by strict institution of Stirbacks. Those orders she
carried out with such zeal that she even went so far as to blow upon the
spoon; and she did look nice while doing it. In a word--as there is no
time for many--being stricken, she did her best to strike, as the manner
of sweet women is.

Sir Du