father, but not too late to succour and
console his child. I will go away with you, for I cannot stay here."

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

Edward then took the counterpane off the bed, and went with it into the
next room. He gently drew the body to the corner of the room, and
covered it up with the counterpane, and then proceeded to examine the
cupboards, etcetera. In one he found a good store of books, in another
there was linen of all sorts, a great many curious arms, two suits of
bright armour such as worn in those times, pistols and guns, and
ammunition. On the floor of one of the cupboards was an iron chest
about two feet by eighteen inches. It was locked. Edward immediately
concluded that this chest held the money of the unfortunate man; but
where was the key? Most likely about his person. He did not like to
afflict the poor boy by putting the question to him, but he went to the
body and examined the pockets of the clothes; he found a bunch of
several keys, which he took, and then replaced the coverlid. He tried
one of the keys, which appeared to be of the right size, to the lock of
the iron chest, and found that it fitted it. Satisfied with this, he
did not raise the lid of the chest, but dragged it out into the centre
of the room. There were many things of value about the room; the
candlesticks were silver, and there were goblets of the same metal.
Edward collected all these articles, and a timepiece, and put them into
a basket, of which there were two large ones at the end of the room,
apparently used for holding firewood. Everything that he thought could
be useful, or of value, he gathered together for the benefit of the poor
orphan boy. He afterwards went into another small room, where he found
sundry small trunks and cases locked-up. These he brought out without
examining, as he presumed that they contained what was of value, or they
would not be locked. When he had collected everything, he found that he
had already more than the cart could carry in one trip; and he wanted to
take some bedding with him, as he had not a spare bed in the cottage to
give to the boy. Edward decided in his own mind that he would take the
most valuable articles away that night, and return with the cart for the
remainder early on the following morning. It was now past noon, and
Edward took out of the cupboard what victuals were left, and then went
into the chamber where the boy was, and begged that he would eat
somethin