last," said Betsey. "Two months more an' winter'll be
'ere. Besides, you caan't git back Pennington by stayin' in a cave. You
knaw what you promised your vather, Jasper; you zaid you wudden rest
night nor day 'till you got back Pennington."

"I remember," I said.

"Bezides," cried Betsey--then she stopped, and looked at me steadily.
She had keen, whitey-gray eyes, which shone very brightly. "Do'ee knaw
who thicky maid wos that you zeed in Fa'muth 'esterday?"

I shook my head.

"Purty, ed'n she?" sniggered Betsey. "She's for Nick Trezidder, my
deear, tha's wot she's for. Her vather an' mawther's dead, my deear, and
she've got piles o' money, an' Richard Trezidder es 'er guardian, an'
they main 'er to marry Nick. Her vather was Squire Penryn, my deear, an'
'ee was killed, an' 'er mawther died a bit agone, so the Trezidders 'ev
got 'er body and soul."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"'Ow do I knaw!" sneered Betsey. "'Ow do I knaw everything?" and this
was the way she always answered when I asked her such a question.

"Where is her home?" I asked.

"Where? Up the country somewhere on the north coast. A big 'ous cloas to
the say, my deear."

"But Penryn is close to Falmouth."

"'Nother branch ov the fam'ly, my deear; but ther', she nothin' to you.
She's good, she's purty, an' she's rich, but she's for Nick Trezidder.
Thews Trezidders do bait the Penningtons, don't 'em?" And Betsey laughed
again.

But I held my tongue. I determined that I would not tell the secret of
my heart, although Betsey's words hurt me like knife-stabs.

"Well, an' when winter do come, what be 'ee goin' to do then, Jasper,
an' 'ow be 'ee goin' to git 'nough to buy back Pennington?"

"I must think, Betsey," I said. "I must think. But I'll do it--I'll do
it!"

"Aisy spok, but not so aisy done. How?"

"I'll help 'un," said Eli.

"You! 'Ow can you 'elp 'un?"

But Eli only hugged himself and laughed, as though he were tickled.
After that but little was said that I can remember.

Before daylight came I went back to the cave. I was sure that neither
Betsey nor Eli would tell of my hiding-place. I was glad for this,
because I knew that if Dick Tresidder knew where I was I should be taken
back to the whipping-post, and perhaps imprisoned. Besides, I was sure
that he feared me, and that he would do everything in his power to make
me suffer. So I determined to stay in Granfer Fraddam's Cave as long as
I could, and I knew that Eli would find o