treasure and bore it piece by piece to the
secret room. Not a creature slept on that side of the house--not a
living being knew what was passing in the dead hours of the night; and
in this fashion the treasure was being brought, Cuthbert descending
the well, into which a little water had now filtered--enough to
conceal the treasure from a passing observer if such there should
chance to be--and with the assistance of their four-footed friend,
drawing up as much as the patient beast could carry, and transporting
it by night to this very house.

"When all is done," concluded Petronella--"and every load we think
must surely be the last, there is so much of it--then he will forth
to seek the gipsy in the forest, and tell her that the task is
done. After that he will to London, to see how it fares with his
cousins there, and to tell my uncle something of his tale,
demanding, as I right well believe, the hand of our cousin Cherry
in wedlock, since he may now support a wife in all comfort and
ease. When that is done he will hither again, and Lady Humbert will
ask to her house a gathering of kinsfolk for the Yuletide festival.
And then the great secret will be told. The treasure will be
divided between the Trevlyns assembled beneath this roof; and I
trow, sweet Kate, that my Lord Culverhouse will contrive to be
here, and that when the good news has been told to all, he will
have small work in getting the parental blessing for those nuptials
that will be celebrated anew with pomp and rejoicing, and will make
thee in very truth, and without shadow of a doubt, the Viscountess
Culverhouse."

Kate, laughing and quivering, clasped Petronella in her arms, as
she cried between laughter and tears:

"And when that good hap befalls me, sweet Petronella, I will
warrant that Philip will be in no wise behind in claiming his
bride, and that thou as well as I shalt find that the recovered
treasure of Trevlyn has smoothed our path to wedded happiness!"

Chapter 20: How It Fared With Cherry.

"Gramercy! what next, I wonder! Here's a pretty kettle of fish! I
always did say that no good came of letters. I wish folks had more
sense than to spend their time writing! I never get a letter but
what it brings a peck of bother with it."

Mistress Susan Holt was the speaker. She held in her hand a piece
of paper which she was eying with many a scornful sniff. It had
been left at the bridge house by a courier riding through to
Westminster fro