nothing about him. She never saw him."

"Yes, she saw him pilloried in Falmouth. She thinks him treated badly.
She has all sorts of funny ideas about justice."

"Of course, all silly girls have; that's nothing. At the same time,
Nick, this shows you must play carefully. I don't want any complications
in getting her money, and mind you, that money I must have, or we are
all in deep water."

"What do you mean?"

"This. We can't raise sixpence, that is legally, on Pennington. There
are simply the rents. Well, this split up into several parts is very
little. So--" he hesitated.

"So what?" asked Nick, eagerly.

"I've speculated."

"On what?"

"On mines. So far, they've turned out badly. I'm involved in a heavy
outlay. At first the affair seemed certain. It may turn out all right
now, I don't know, but I tell you I'm neck deep--neck deep. I can hold
on for a year or so, and you must get Naomi's money, or I'm done for."

"But you've got her money?"

"Yes, and, as her guardian, I'll have to give an account of it."

"Look here, father, tell me all about it. I don't like acting in the
dark. How and why did Naomi come to Pennington, and what is the true
condition of affairs? I want to know."

"Another time, Nick."

"No, now."

"Very well, I may as well tell you now."

CHAPTER VII

I HEAR RICHARD TRESIDDER TELL NAOMI PENRYN'S HISTORY, AND AM IN DANGER
OF BEING KILLED BY SMUGGLERS

Richard Tressider slowly filled his pipe again, and seemed to be
collecting his thoughts before telling his son what was in his mind.

"Her home, as you know, is at Trevose, not far from Trevose Head," he
said, presently. "The house is a funny old place--as lonely as a
churchyard and as bleak as a mountain peak. It seems a strange idea to
build a big house like that on a rocky eminence, but the Penryns have
always been a strange people. However, it is said that the Penryn who
built the house back in Oliver Cromwell's days kept ships for strange
purposes, and that he had curious dealings with 'gentlemen of fortune.'"

"Pirates do you mean?"

"Better let them be unnamed. Anyhow, from the tower of the house you can
see many miles up and down the coast--as far as Bude Harbour on the one
hand, and Gurnard's Head on the other. There is some very good land
belonging to the estate, too."

"Much?" asked Nick.

"More than belongs to Pennington by a long way, my boy. The rents are
handsome, I can assure you."

"Well, go on."