he casket to lift now, so I caught the
handle again. The thing was ponderously heavy, but I drew it to the top
of the fissure, and laid it on the rock called the Devil's Point.

"Ho! ho! ho!" yelled Eli, like one frenzied.

As for me, I was nearly mad with joy.

"My beauty," I said, fondling the box, "I see Pennington in you, I see
Naomi's joy on you. You make me free, you make me independent. I love
you, I do--I love you!"

"Laive us drag un away from the Devil's Point," cried Eli; "Hell's Mouth
is too close to plaise me."

So I placed my arms around it and prepared to carry it from the rock,
and away from the inky waters that curled and hissed in the "Devil's
Mouth." No sooner had I lifted it from the ground, however, than I let
it fall again.

"No! no!" screamed a voice near me. It was not Eli's guttural cry, it
was a repetition of the words we had heard in the "Devil's Church" at
Kynance Cove.

On starting up I saw the same ghastly-looking creature, the same long
beard, the same wild eyes, the same long, lean hands.

"No! no! no! I tell you no!" cried the thing again.

"Why?" I asked, half in anger, half in terror, for I could but realise
what such an apparition meant to us.

"Because the thing is accursed!" he cried--"because it is red with the
blood of innocence, black with sin, heavy with the cries of orphans'
tears and widows' moans. It is the price of crime, red crime, black
crime! Come away."

I jumped from the rock and caught the strange thing in my hands. It was
flesh and blood, and all fear departed. I turned his face to the light,
then I burst into a loud laugh.

"Ho! ho!" I cried, "the madman of Bedruthan Steps. Well, well, you saved
my life, you fed me when I was hungry, you clothed me when I was naked.
I forgive you. But let me be now. I must take this away."

"No, no, Jasper Pennington," he cried again, "your hands are yet
unstained with blood. The moment you were to use such gains the curse of
a hundred Cains would be upon you. I know, I have felt."

"Why?" I said; "I do no harm in getting it; I hurt no man. It is mine as
much as any other man's--nay, it is more. Eli Fraddam really owns it,
and he has given it to me."

"Look you, Jasper Pennington," he cried, "you would get back your
birthright. If you got it back in such a way you would lose the better
birthright, the birthright of God. I know of this treasure, I have heard
its history. It is red with blood, I tell you, and black w