Zeb wearily, without taking his hand from the
door-post. "I reckon it don't matter what I may be, or may not be, so
long as you'm dressed i' ten minnits."

The other dropped his hands, with a short laugh.

"I beg your pardon. For aught I know you may have nothing to do with
this infernal plot except to warn me against it."

"Don't make any mistake. 'Twas I that set the press-gang upon 'ee,"
answered Zeb, in the same dull tones.

There was silence between them for half a minute, and then the stranger
spoke, as if to himself--

"My God! Love has made this oaf a man!" He stood for a while, sucking
at his under-lip, and regarding Zeb gloomily. "May I ask why you have
deliberately blown up this pretty mine at the eleventh hour?"

"I couldn't do it," Zeb groaned; "Lord knows 'twas not for love of you,
but I couldn't."

"Upon my word, you fascinate me. People say that evil is more easily
learnt than goodness; but that's great nonsense. The footsteps of the
average beginner are equally weak in both pursuits. Would you mind
telling me why you chose this particular form of treachery, in
preference (let us say) to poison or shooting from behind a hedge?
Was it simply because you risked less? Pardon the question, but I have
a particular reason for knowing."

"We're wastin' time," said Zeb, pulling out his watch again.

"It's extraordinary how a fool will stumble on good luck. Why, sir, but
for one little accident, the existence of which you could not possibly
have known, I might easily have waited for the press-gang, stated the
case to them, and had you lugged off to sea in my place. Has it
occurred to you, in the course of your negotiations, that the wicked
occasionally stumble into pits of their own digging? You, who take part
in the psalm-singing every Sunday, might surely have remembered this.
As it is, I suppose I must hurry on my clothes, and get to church by
some roundabout way."

"I'm afeard you can't, without my help."

"Indeed? Why?"

"'Cause the gang is posted all round 'ee. I met the lot half an hour
back, an' promised to call 'pon you and bring word you was here."

"Come, come; I retract my sneers. You begin to excite my admiration.
I shall undoubtedly shoot you before I'm taken, but it shall be your
comfort to die amid expressions of esteem."

"You'm mistaken. I came to save 'ee, if you'll be quick."

"How?"

"I've a load of ore-weed outside, in the cart. By the lie o' the
cottag