ealing
burnt low in the socket. A minute later the light gave some flickering
flashes, failings, and sputters, and then the wick tottered, and out
popped the flame, leaving us with the chilly grey of a March evening
creeping up in the corners of the room. I could bear the gloom no longer,
but made up the fire till the light danced ruddy across pewter and
porcelain on the dresser. 'Come, Master Block,' I said, 'there is time
enough before May Day to think what we shall do, so let us take a cup of
tea, and after that I will play you a game of backgammon.' But he still
remained cast down, and would say nothing; and as chance would have it,
though I wished to let him win at backgammon, that so, perhaps, he might
get cheered, yet do what I would that night I could not lose. So as his
luck grew worse his moodiness increased, and at last he shut the board
with a bang, saying, in reference to that motto that ran round its edge,
'Life is like a game of hazard, and surely none ever flung worse throws,
or made so little of them as I.'

CHAPTER 8

THE LANDING

Let my lamp at midnight hour
Be seen in some high lonely tower--_Milton_

Maskew got ugly looks from the men, and sour words from the wives, as he
went up through the village that afternoon, for all knew what he had
done, and for many days after the auction he durst not show his face
abroad. Yet Damen of Ringstave and some others of the landers' men, who
made it their business to keep an eye upon him, said that he had been
twice to Weymouth of evenings, and held converse there with Mr. Luckham
of the Excise, and with Captain Henning, who commanded the troopers then
in quarters on the Nothe. And by degrees it got about, but how I do not
know, that he had persuaded the Revenue to strike hard at the smugglers,
and that a strong posse was to be held in readiness to take the landers
in the act the next time they should try to run a cargo. Why Maskew
should so put himself about to help the Revenue I cannot tell, nor did
anyone ever certainly find out; but some said 'twas out of sheer
wantonness, and a desire to hurt his neighbours; and others, that he saw
what an apt place this was for landing cargoes, and wished first to make
a brave show of zeal for the Excise, and afterwards to get the whole of
the contraband trade into his own hands. However that may be, I think he
was certainly in league with the Revenue men, and more than once I saw
him on the Manor terrace with