r, the treasure," she urged. "Canst not
thou help us there?"

The old woman shifted her bright eyes to the flushed face of the
girl, and a flicker passed over her face as she repeated:

"Us--us? And what part or lot has Martin Holt's daughter in the
lost treasure of Trevlyn? What, my pretty child, has thy handsome
lover come so soon? and art thou looking already to be made a lady
of by him?"

The girl hid her blushing face on Cuthbert's shoulder, whilst he
answered with boyish straightforwardness:

"I will wed my cousin Cherry or none else. We have plighted our
troth secretly, and she shall one day be my bride. If thou canst
help me in this matter, it will make our lot easier; but, poor or
rich, she shall be mine!"

The old woman nodded her head several times, and Cuthbert fancied
that a greater benignity of expression crossed her wrinkled face.

"Brave words! brave words!" she muttered, "and a brave heart
behind. Grandson to Isabel Wyvern! Ay, so it is; and there is
Wyvern in that face as well as Trevlyn. For her sake--for her sake!
Ay, I would do much for that.

"Boy," she said suddenly, raising her voice and speaking in her
witch-like accents again, "thou hast spoken a name which is as a
talisman, and though thou hast asked a hard thing, I will help thee
an I can. Yet I myself know naught. It is the familiar spirits that
know, and they will not always come even at my call; they will not
always speak sooth at my bidding. I can but use my arts; the rest
lies with them; and this is a secret that has been long-time hid."

"Ay, and the time has now come when it should be revealed,"
answered Cuthbert boldly. "Use what arts thou wilt! I ask the
answer to my question. I would know where the lost treasure lies."

As he spoke these words the room became suddenly darkened. Around
them again as they stood there seemed to float voices and whispers,
though not one articulate word could either hear. In the gloom they
saw nothing save the fiery eyes of the great cat, which appeared to
be crouched upon the table beside its mistress. The whisperings and
voices, sometimes accompanied by soft or mocking laughter,
continued for the space of several moments, and appeared to be
interrupted at last by the tap of the wise woman's wand upon the
table, which three times repeated enforced a sudden silence.

The silence was for a moment more awe inspiring than what had gone
first; but before Cherry had more time than sufficed to nip