there!"

Adam did not answer, and old Zebedee, interpreting the silence into an
admission of the force of his arguments, forbore to press the advantage
and generously started a fresh topic. "They's a tawld 'ee, I reckon,
'bout the bill they's a posted up, right afore the winder, by the Three
Pilchards," he said. "Iss," he added, not waiting for an answer, "the
king's pardon and wan hunderd pound to be who'll discover to 'em the man
who 'twas fired the fatal shot. Wan hunderd pound!" he sneered. "That's
a fat lot, surely; and as for t' king's pardon, why 'twudn't lave un
braithin'-time to spend it in--not if he war left here, 'twudn't. No
fear! Us ain't so bad off yet that either wan in Polperro 'ud stink
their fingers wi' blid-money. Lord save un! sich a man 'ud fetch up the
divil hisself to see un pitched head foremost down to bottom o' say,
which 'ud be the end I'd vote for un, and see it was carr'd out
too--iss, tho' his bones bore my own flesh and blid 'pon 'em, I wud;"
and in his anger the old man's rugged face grew distorted with emotion.

But Adam neither spoke nor made comment on his words. His eyes were
fixed on mid-air, his nostrils worked, his mouth quivered. Within him a
legion of devils seemed to have broken loose, and, sensible of the
mastery they were gaining over him, he leaped up and with the wild
despair of one who catches at a straw to save him from destruction, it
came upon him to rush down and look once more into the face of her whom
he had found so fair and proved so false.

"What is it you'm goin' to do, then?" said Zebedee, seeing that Adam had
stooped down and was raising the panel by which exit was effected.

"Goin' to see if the coast's clear," said Adam.

"Better bide where you be," urged Zebedee. "Joan or they's sure to rin
up so soon as 'tis all safe."

But Adam paid no heed: muttering something about knowing what he was
about, he slipped up the partition and crept under, cautiously
ascertained that the outer room was empty, and then, crossing the
passage, stole down the stairs.

The door which led into the room was shut, but through a convenient
chink Adam could take a survey of those within. Already his better self
had begun to struggle in his ear, already the whisper which desire was
prompting asked what if Eve stood there alone and--But no, his glance
had taken in the whole: quick as the lightning's flash the details of
that scene were given to Adam's gaze--Eve, bent forward, st