nd
many a happy welcome I witnessed as I sat there with no friend but
hate. Friends! What had I to do with such? I had a friend once,
but he was dead. Friend, parents, love--all dead by one man's hand,
and he--But a little while now; but a little while!

We reached Plymouth shortly after five--the train being late--and
here the crowd in the carriages grew greater. It was dark, but the
moon was not yet up--the full moon by which the treasure was to be
sought. How slowly the train dragged through Cornwall! It would be
eight before we reached Penryn, and low water was at half-past
eleven. Should we be in time?

The snow had ceased to fall: a clear north-east wind had chased the
clouds from heaven, and scarcely had we passed Saltash before a
silver rim came slowly rising above the black woods on the river's
opposite bank. Clear into the frosty night it rose, and I fell to
wondering savagely with what thoughts Colliver saluted it.

It was already half-past eight as we changed our train at Truro, and
here again more time was wasted. Upon the platform I saw him again.
He was heavily cloaked and muffled now, for it was freezing hard; but
beneath the low brim of his hat I saw the deep, black eyes gleaming
with impatience. So at last once more we started.

"Penryn!"

I looked at my watch. It was nine o'clock; more than an hour and a
half late. By the light from the carriage window I saw him step out
into the shadow of the platform. I followed. Here also was a large
crowd bound for Helston, and the coach that waited outside was
quickly thronged inside and out. Colliver was outside the station in
a moment, and in another had jumped into a carriage waiting there
with two horses, and was gone up the hill beneath the shadow of the
bridge. In my folly I had forgotten that he might have telegraphed
for horses to meet him. However, the coach was fast and I could post
from Helston. I clambered up to the top, where for want of a better
seat I propped myself up on a pile of luggage, and waited whilst box
after box, amid vociferous cursing, was piled up beside me.
At length, just as I was beginning to despair of ever starting at
all, with a few final curses directed at the bystanders generally,
the driver mounted the box, shook his reins, and we were off.

The load was so heavy that at first five horses were used, but we
left one with his postillion at the top of the hill and swung down at
a canter into the level c