had been speaking walked out of the cave, and I
could not but think he had been brought up as a gentleman in spite of
his wild, unkempt appearance.

"What is it?" I asked. "Where is the convent to which Miss Penryn was
taken? Can you tell me that?"

"No, I ca'ant; ted'n 'bout that."

"What then?"

"You reckleck thicky night when you comed 'ome from say--that night when
mawther brought out the crock and brandis, and tould yer fortin?"

"Yes."

"And you do mind to that Cap'n Jack and Cap'n Billy Coad comed to 'ee?"

"I remember."

"Well, you eerd 'em axin mawther 'bout the saicret paaper that tould 'em
'bout a treasure?"

"Yes."

"Well"--and Eli put his mouth close to my ear--"I do knaw where thicky
paaper es. I've vound un out, an' saved un for Maaster Jasper."

"What do you mean?"

"Eli do love Maaster Jasper"--and again the poor gnome began fondling
and caressing my hands--"so Eli have wormed around and around, and ev
vound out where et es. Aw, aw, when Cap'n Jack an' Cap'n Billy cudden
vind et they ded swear they ded, but Eli do knaw, an' Eli'll give ut to
Maaster Jasper, 'ee will, then Maaster Jasper c'n pay 'em oal out. Turn
out Maaster Trezidder, my deear, and live at Pennington."

"Tell me more about it, Eli?" I cried.

"Hush, we mus'n tell nobody. Aw, aw!" and again the dwarf laughed
gleefully.

"There's no witchcraft, no wizard's charms about the treasure, is
there? It wasn't made in hell, was it?"

"No, no; tes oal right. Granfer Fraddam was once a pirut on the 'igh
says."

"Yes; I know he was once a pirate on the high seas, but what of that?"

"Well, he got the paaper from another pirut. Some do zay he ded kill un,
but that ed'n true. Well, 'ee got et."

"Yes; but if he got a paper telling where the treasure was, why did he
not take it away?"

"Well, Granfer cudden raid, fur wawn thing, and fur another, 'ee wos
feared."

"Afraid of what?"

"Several things. For wawn thing, he was tould that 'twas onlucky to git
a treasure that was got through killin' people; but that wudden stop
Granfer, I do knaw."

"Then what was it?"

"Well, Granfer cudden raid the direckshuns, and 'ee cud never maake up
his mind to shaw et to anybody that cud. Now, they do zay that when 'ee
talked 'bout et 'ee was awful feared. He zed ef 'ee shawed et to anybody
they'd kill un. I spoase Granfer was a wisht ould man after 'ee 'ad a
accident, and was too ould to live out to say. He repented and turned
relig