le I went upstairs and flung myself upon the bed
to try to rest a little and think, but Elzevir shut himself in with the
landlord, and I could hear them talking earnestly in the room under me.
After a while he came up and said that he had considered with the
landlord how we could best get away, telling him that we must be off at
once, but letting him suppose that we were eager to leave the place
because some of the Excise had got wind of our whereabouts. He had said
nothing to our host about the turnkey, wishing as few persons as possible
to know of that matter, but doubted not that we should by all means
hasten our departure from the island, for that as soon as the turnkey was
missed inquiry would certainly be made for the plasterers with whom he
was last seen.

Yet in this thing at least Fortune favoured us, for there was now lying
at Cowes, and ready to sail that night, a Dutch couper that had run a
cargo of Hollands on the other side of the island, and was going back to
Scheveningen freighted with wool. Our landlord knew the Dutch captain
well, having often done business for him, and so could give us letters of
recommendation which would ensure us a passage to the Low Countries. Thus
in the afternoon we were on the road, making our way from Newport to
Cowes in a new disguise, for we had changed our clothes again, and now
wore the common sailor dress of blue.

The clouds had returned after the rain, and the afternoon was wet, and
worse than the morning, so I shall not say anything of another weary and
silent walk. We arrived on Cowes quay by eight in the evening, and found
the couper ready to make sail, and waiting only for the tide to set out.
Her name was the _Gouden Droom_, and she was a little larger than the
_Bonaventure_, but had a smaller crew, and was not near so well found.
Elzevir exchanged a few words with the captain, and gave him the
landlord's letter, and after that they let us come on board, but said
nothing to us. We judged that we were best out of the way, so went below;
and finding her laden deep, and even the cabin full of bales of wool,
flung ourselves on them to rest. I was so tired and heavy with sleep that
my eyes closed almost before I was lain down, and never opened till the
next morning was well advanced.

I shall not say anything about our voyage, nor how we came safe to
Scheveningen, because it has little to do with this story. Elzevir had
settled that we should go to Holland, not only b