y, instead of growing
old in the wilds of the forest.

Joanna's reply had been that she did not think Miriam had ever
really wished to leave the free forest life; that with her,
vengeance upon the Trevlyns had been the leading impulse of her
life; and that she had no covetous desires herself after the gold.
Old Robin had loved it with the miser's love; but doubtless the
younger Robin (if indeed the long-bearded man were he) was waiting
till such time as Miriam should be dead, and he alone in full
possession of the golden secret. Then he would without doubt bear
it away and live like a prince the rest of his days; but for the
present he made no move, and Joanna was very certain that he
suspected her of watching him, as indeed she did, and he had shown
himself as cunning as any fox in baffling her when she had sought
to discover any of his haunts. Her watching had been in vain,
because she was suspected of a too great knowledge, and was looked
upon as dangerous. But where she failed Cuthbert might succeed, for
he was absolutely unknown to Robin, and if the two were to meet
face to face in the forest, it would be impossible that the wily
old man (if old he were) should suspect him of any ulterior
purpose.

Robin had not been at the mill the night that Cuthbert had been
brought there by Tyrrel and his companions. Joanna had described
him so graphically that the lad was certain of knowing him were he
to come across him in the forest. She had also indicated to him the
region in which she suspected him most generally to lurk when he
spent days and sometimes weeks alone in the forest. She believed
that during the summer months, when the forest became the resort of
many wandering bands of gipsies or of robbers and outlaws, he kept
a pretty close and constant watch upon the spot where his treasure
lay hid. The dell, at the head of which the bones of the seven
murdered men had been found, was certainly a favourite spot of his;
and she believed it was owing to some trickery of his that men
still declared it haunted by evil or troubled spirits. Travellers
passing that way had been scared almost out of their senses by the
sight of a ghostly white figure gliding about, or by the sound of
hollow moans and the rattling of chains. None but the ignorant
stranger ever ventured within half-a-mile of that ill-omened spot.
Cuthbert, as he sat thinking over the gipsy's words and charge, saw
clearly that there was ample room for suspicion t