w the flowers, and fruit-trees,
pot-herbs, spice, and simples ran all wild and intermixed. The pink brick
walls caught every ray of sun that fell, and that morning there was a
hushed, close heat in it, and a warm breath rose from the strawberry
beds, for they were then in full bearing. I was glad enough to get out of
the sun when Grace led the way into a walk of medlar-trees and quinces,
where the boughs interlaced and formed an alley to a brick summer-house.
This summer-house stands in the angle of the south wall, and by it two
fig-trees, whose tops you can see from the outside. They are well known
for the biggest and the earliest bearing of all that part, and Grace
showed me how, if danger threatened, I might climb up their boughs and
scale the wall.

We sat in the summer-house, and I told her all that had happened at her
father's death, only concealing that Elzevir had meant to do the deed
himself; because it was no use to tell her that, and besides, for all I
knew, he never did mean to shoot, but only to frighten.

She wept again while I spoke, but afterwards dried her tears, and must
needs look at my leg to see the bullet-wound, and if it was all
soundly healed.

Then I told her of the secret sense that Master Ratsey's words put into
the texts written on the parchment. I had showed her the locket before,
but we had it out again now; and she read and read again the writing,
while I pointed out how the words fell, and told her I was going away to
get the diamond and come back the richest man in all the countryside.

Then she said, 'Ah, John! set not your heart too much upon this diamond.
If what they say is true, 'twas evilly come by, and will bring evil with
it. Even this wicked man durst not spend it for himself, but meant to
give it to the poor; so, if indeed you ever find it, keep it not for
yourself, but set his soul at rest by doing with it what he meant to do,
or it will bring a curse upon you.'

I only smiled at what she said, taking it to be a girlish fancy, and did
not tell her why I wanted so much to be rich--namely, to marry her one
day. Then, having talked long about my own concerns as selfishly as a man
always does, I thought to ask after herself, and what she was going to
do. She told me that a month past lawyers had come to Moonfleet, and
pressed her to leave the place, and they would give her in charge to a
lady in London, because, said they, her father had died without a will,
and so she must b