it money asked eagerly mrs drew her shawl tightly round her massive form i don t know rightly what it is she said in her heavy voice says very little but what he does say shows that major will never let miss leave that house and she s not mad poor lamb she s a poor innocent angel the sport of i ll go now mr and mind i have word to say you have said as she turned away but if you want to help miss only one man can help her interrupted the woman and he must be her lover who will stand against these devils on her behalf but she never sees a man since mr went away unless old counts so what chance has she there she ended abruptly i have told you more than i ought to the drink the drink would kill me if he knew curse and curse the drink and she returned slowly to the striking her forehead and repeating the drink the drink the drink remained on the bridge for a few minutes and the sealed message then retired to bed not to sleep but to think deeply he had enough to occupy his thoughts throughout that long summer night mrs as the saying goes had given the show away from the remark about the car felt certain that mrs had meant a loss of money apparently if escaped from the s house would lose an income which belonged to the girl but of this the young man could not be sure and until he had more information he could do nothing still his suspicions had certainly proved to be correct the negro was s creature and had been posted in village to guard the s house and its occupants felt that he was on the track of the mystery but could not follow it up until he talked it over with another person two heads were better than one in this instance and was very shrewd therefore fell asleep with a resolution to explain matters to the lawyer when he went to london meanwhile he had to meet in the moonlight on the night and that thought alone was sufficient to fill his mind to the of less romantic matters next morning was as and obedient as usual evidently he had neither found nor had he heard anything to awaken his suspicion while visiting the s house watched him closely and weighed every look every of the voice but in every case he was satisfied that the negro had not the slightest idea that his guest had the enchanted castle when the time came for to drive to the negro himself appeared on the box of the trap said climbing in and seeing that his was all right this is an honor oh no said the negro showing his splendid teeth you ver good to at de � the sealed message maid i wish you to come here again an � an tell ob dis place i ll tell said when the trap started and i ll be back soon to stay me for a few days i must then get on to st as a friend is awaiting me there what i miss about added the young man in a careless tone is that there are no pretty girls no no you to see for de pretty you come from then yes me and servant to major him was in command ob a fine black m t was indeed and simply told what had gathered from the wife however to shield her he expressed suitable surprise i wonder you don t go back to after the this place must be chilly and extremely dull in winter it dull replied the negro but i de inn and de wife and de family so i getting on well but some day i go back to port royal to money and den i a grand in this way all the long way to and told quite a lot about his life with major the negro appeared to be quite devoted to his old master that had saved his life when it was in danger from what asked idly said i lose one eye in and after this remark he became silent had heard of js l v the sealed message and having an in his company would have liked from literary curiosity to learn more but by this time the trap was entering and descending the steep high street so refused to say anything more the loss of his eye was evidently a sore subject with him and small wonder that he loved if the sight of the other eye had been saved by that military gentleman when drove away leaving at the prince s head that individual thought deeply chapter vn love being saxon had not the instincts of a and was therefore somewhat rough and ready in arranging for a secret meeting with however love his wits and he excused himself to the landlady of the prince s head for being absent after midnight on the plea that he had to ride out and see an old friend in the ordinary course of things there was no reason why he should explain at all but to make matters entirely safe should mr play the spy � which was just what the creature would do � thus arranged for an explanation after dinner he called in mrs and ordered a horse obtaining at the same time the key of a side door so that he could admit himself when he returned somewhere about one o clock in the morning then he gave orders that he was to be called in time for the early morning train and afterwards snatched forty in order to prepare himself thoroughly for the of the night the sealed message owing to the excessive heat of the weather usually wore loose white from morning until evening but 