ave
the Why Not?, and how it often made him moody and downcast.

'We will have no more of innkeeping,' he said; 'I have been sick and
tired of it this many a day, and care not now to see men abuse good
liquor and addle their silly pates to fill my purse. And I have
something, boy, put snug away in Dorchester town that will give us bread
to eat and beer to drink, even if the throws run still deuce-ace. But we
must seek a roof to shelter us when the Why Not? is shut, and 'tis best
we leave this Moonfleet of ours for a season, till Maskew finds a rope's
end long enough to hang himself withal. So, when our work is done
tomorrow night, we will walk out along the cliff to Worth, and take a
look at a cottage there that Damen spoke about, with a walled orchard at
the back, and fuchsia hedge in front--'tis near the Lobster Inn, and has
a fine prospect of the sea; and if we live there, we will leave the vault
alone awhile and use this Pyegrove's Hole for storehouse, till the watch
is relaxed.'

I did not answer, having my thoughts on other things, and he tossed off
his liquor, saying, 'Thou'rt tired; so let's to bed, for we shall get
little sleep tomorrow night.'

It was true that I was tired, and yet I could not get to sleep, but
tossed and turned in my bed for thinking of many things, and being vexed
that we were to leave Moonfleet. Yet mine was a selfish sorrow; for I had
little thought for Elzevir and the pain that it must be to him to quit,
the Why Not?: nor yet was it the grief of leaving Moonfleet that so
troubled me, although that was the only place I ever had known, and
seemed to me then--as now--the only spot on earth fit to be lived in; but
the real care and canker was that I was going away from Grace Maskew. For
since she had left school I had grown fonder of her; and now that it was
difficult to see her, I took the more pains to accomplish it, and met her
sometimes in Manor Woods, and more than once, when Maskew was away, had
walked with her on Weatherbeech Hill. So we bred up a boy-and-girl
affection, and must needs pledge ourselves to be true to one another, not
knowing what such silly words might mean. And I told Grace all my
secrets, not even excepting the doings of the contraband, and the Mohune
vault and Blackbeard's locket, for I knew all was as safe with her as
with me, and that her father could never rack aught from her. Nay, more,
her bedroom was at the top of the gabled wing of the Manor House, and
look