sometimes finding occasion to talk with her. Thus time
passed, and I lived with Elzevir at the Why Not?, still going to school
of mornings, but spending the afternoons in fishing, or in helping him
in the garden, or with the boats. As soon as I got to know him well, I
begged him to let me help run the cargoes, but he refused, saying I was
yet too young, and must not come into mischief. Yet, later, yielding to
my importunity, he consented; and more than one dark night I was in the
landing-boats that unburdened the lugger, though I could never bring
myself to enter the Mohune vault again, but would stand as sentry at the
passage-mouth. And all the while I had round my neck Colonel John
Mohune's locket, and at first wore it next myself, but finding it black
the skin, put it between shirt and body-jacket. And there by dint of
wear it grew less black, and showed a little of the metal underneath,
and at last I took to polishing it at odd times, until it came out quite
white and shiny, like the pure silver that it was. Elzevir had seen this
locket when he put me to bed the first time I came to the Why Not? and
afterwards I told him whence I got it; but though we had it out more
than once of an evening, we could never come at any hidden meaning.
Indeed, we scarce tried to, judging it to be certainly a sacred charm to
keep evil spirits from Blackbeard's body.

CHAPTER 7

AN AUCTION

What if my house be troubled with a rat,
And I be pleased to give ten thousand ducats
To have it baned--_Shakespeare_

One evening in March, when the days were lengthening fast, there came a
messenger from Dorchester, and brought printed notices for fixing to the
shutters of the Why Not? and to the church door, which said that in a
week's time the bailiff of the duchy of Cornwall would visit Moonfleet.
This bailiff was an important person, and his visits stood as events in
village history. Once in five years he made a perambulation, or journey,
through the whole duchy, inspecting all the Royal property, and arranging
for new leases. His visits to Moonfleet were generally short enough, for
owing to the Mohunes owning all the land, the only duchy estate there was
the Why Not? and the only duty of the bailiff to renew that five-year
lease, under which Blocks had held the inn, father and son, for
generations. But for all that, the business was not performed without
ceremony, for there was a solemn show of putting up the lease of the inn
to t