Doria
went first and crept along, with me behind him, until we had reached
to within twenty-five yards. The poor wretch saw us then and leaped
up, but it was too late and Giuseppe reached him in a moment and
explained that I came as a friend. Doria was prepared to detain him
if he endeavoured to escape, but he did not. Robert Redmayne is worn
out. He has been through terrible times. He shrank at first and
nearly collapsed when I came to him. He went on his knees to me. But
I was patient and made him understand that I had not come as an
enemy."

"Is he sane?" asked Bendigo.

"He appears to be sane," she answered. "He made no mention of the
past and neither spoke of his crime nor of what he has been doing
since; but he has altered. He seems a ghost of his former self; his
voice has changed from a boom into a whisper; his eyes are haunted.
He is thin and full of terror. He made me send Doria out of earshot
and then told me that he had only come here to see you. He has been
here some days, hidden in one of the caves down the coast westward.
He wouldn't tell me where, but no doubt it is near where we found
him. He is ragged and wounded. One of his hands ought to be attended
to."

"And still you say he behaved like a sane man, Mrs. Pendean?" asked
Brendon.

"Yes--except for what seemed an insane fear. And yet fear was
natural enough under the circumstances. He feels, poor creature,
that he has reached the end of his tether; and even if he is insane
and will escape the extreme penalty, he doesn't know that himself. I
implored him to come with me in the boat and see Uncle Bendigo and
trust to the mercy of his fellow men. I didn't feel a traitor in
asking him to do this; for I imagine, though seemingly sane now, he
must in reality be mad, since only madness could explain the past,
and he will be judged accordingly. But he is very suspicious. He
thanked me and grovelled horribly to me; but he would not trust
either me or Doria, or think of entering the boat. He is all nerves
and soon began to fear we were planning an ambush, or otherwise
endangering his freedom.

"I asked him, then, to tell me what he wished and how I could help
him. He considered and said that if Uncle Bendigo would see him
quite alone and swear, before God, not to hinder his departure in
any way after they had met, he would come to 'Crow's Nest' to-night
after the household was asleep.

"For the moment he wants food and a lamp to light his hiding-pla