out over the
wall than to go back to the front of the house, and as I sat on the wall
ready to drop the other side, turned to her and said good-bye.

'Good-bye,' cried she; 'and have a care how you touch the treasure; it
was evilly come by, and will bring a curse with it.'

'Good-bye, good-bye,' I said, and dropped on to the soft leafy bottom
of the wood.

CHAPTER 14

THE WELL-HOUSE

For those thou mayest not look upon
Are gathering fast round the yawning stone--_Scott_

It wanted yet half an hour of midnight when I found myself at the shaft
of the marble quarry, and before I had well set foot on the steps to
descend, heard Elzevir's voice challenging out of the darkness below. I
gave back '_Prosper the Bonaventure',_ and so came home again to sleep
the last time in our cave.

The next night was well suited to flight. There was a spring-tide with
full moon, and a light breeze setting off the land which left the water
smooth under the cliff. We saw the _Bonaventure_ cruising in the Channel
before sundown, and after the darkness fell she lay close in and took us
off in her boat. There were several men on board of her that I knew, and
they greeted us kindly, and made much of us. I was indeed glad to be
among them again, and yet felt a pang at leaving our dear Dorset coast,
and the old cave that had been hospital and home to me for two months.

The wind set us up-Channel, and by daybreak they put us ashore at Cowes,
so we walked to Newport and came there before many were stirring. Such as
we saw in the street paid no heed to us but took us doubtless for some
carter and his boy who had brought corn in from the country for the
Southampton packet, and were about early to lead the team home again.
'Tis a little place enough this Newport, and we soon found the Bugle; but
Elzevir made so good a carter that the landlord did not know him, though
he had his acquaintance before. So they fenced a little with one another.

'Have you bed and victuals for a plain country man and his boy?'
says Elzevir.

'Nay, that I have not,' says the landlord, looking him up and down, and
not liking to take in strangers who might use their eyes inside, and
perhaps get on the trail of the Contraband. ''Tis near the Summer
Statute and the place over full already. I cannot move my gentlemen,
and would bid you try the Wheatsheaf, which is a good house, and not so
full as this.'

'Ay, 'tis a busy time, and 'tis these fairs that make t