of
the Castle. Nay, I did no harm. The more we physicians know, the less
do we do. Only the fool says: "I dare." I caused a blotched and
itching rash to break out upon their skins, but I knew it would fade in
fifteen days. I did not stretch out my hand against their life. They
in the Castle thought it was the Plague, and they ran out, taking with
them their very dogs.

'A Christian physician, seeing that I was a Jew and a stranger, vowed
that I had brought the sickness from London. This is the one time I
have ever heard a Christian leech speak truth of any disease.
Thereupon the people beat me, but a merciful woman said: "Do not kill
him now. Push him into our Castle with his Plague, and if, as he says,
it will abate on the fifteenth day, we can kill him then." Why not?
They drove me across the drawbridge of the Castle, and fled back to
their booths. Thus I came to be alone with the treasure.'

'But did you know this was all going to happen just right?' said Una.

'My Prophecy was that I should be a Lawgiver to a People of a strange
land and a hard speech. I knew I should not die. I washed my cuts. I
found the tide-well in the wall, and from Sabbath to Sabbath I dove and
dug there in that empty, Christian-smelling fortress. He! I spoiled
the Egyptians! He! If they had only known! I drew up many good loads
of gold, which I loaded by night into my boat. There had been gold
dust too, but that had been washed out by the tides.'

'Didn't you ever wonder who had put it there?' said Dan, stealing a
glance at Puck's calm, dark face under the hood of his gown. Puck
shook his head and pursed his lips.

'Often; for the gold was new to me,' Kadmiel replied. 'I know the
Golds. I can judge them in the dark; but this was heavier and redder
than any we deal in. Perhaps it was the very gold of Parvaim. Eh, why
not? It went to my heart to heave it on to the mud, but I saw well
that if the evil thing remained, or if even the hope of finding it
remained, the King would not sign the New Laws, and the land would
perish.'

'Oh, Marvel!' said Puck, beneath his breath, rustling in the dead
leaves.

'When the boat was loaded I washed my hands seven times, and pared
beneath my nails, for I would not keep one grain. I went out by the
little gate where the Castle's refuse is thrown. I dared not hoist
sail lest men should see me; but the Lord commanded the tide to bear me
carefully, and I was far from land before