The Watchers

sunlit slope of gorse all yellow and purple stretching upwards, and over the slope a great space of blue sky wh

ding at the foot of the bed, and he happene

my adventure of the night. With the clear sunlight filling the room and the bright wind chasing the clouds

out. "What if I ha

waying, but still, inert, horrible, I should have seen--and I clapped my hands over my face, s

ick, looking at me curiously, and recoveri

ck. The strange room!

not waked me before, because he had not before had speech with the mistress of the house. Helen Mayle had risen

th a girl whom one had saved from that silk noose some eight hours before? With what countenance would she greet me? Would she resent my interference? Dick, however, had plainly noticed nothing unusual in

," said I without turning round.

g why it hung t

ed and with some trouble, for the knots were stiff, I

ours?" c

as silent. His silence was fortunate, since if he had asked to what end I

ssage to the balustrade, and the head of the sta

es which Dick had suggested to my mind. It was at the head of the stairs that Adam Mayle had stood when he drove out his son. The marks no doubt were the marks of that handful of guineas which Cullen had flung to splatter

m of the night, and as I saw it now in the clear light of day, I stopped amazed. It wore no expression of embarrassment, no plea for silence. She met me with

kind. Until this morning I did not even know the reason of Dick's journey t

awkwardness as I heard it. Lieutenant Clutterbuck had not hesitated to accuse her of duplicity; I at all events could not but ack

I hope as Lieutenant

service from Lieutenant Clutterbuck, much less f

r you would hav

she said, with a frank smile, and that I

erstand that the obligation is upon my side. For whereas I do not know that I can rend

id," she returned, as she

tly as I followed her, "can be as

eyes laughed in unison. She was pale and the pallor was the more marked on account of her dark hair and eyes, but the blood came and went in her cheeks, and gave to her an infinite variety of expression. I could hardly believe that this voice which was now lively with content

d of me, for if I may judge from your looks, Mr. Be

out for a reason to excuse my curiosit

t distress and perplexity, whose house was

tle, looking at the cloth. "And very likely," she continued slowly, "you are disposed to

to have agreed. "I have no reason for pride, God knows, but indeed, Madam, I am not so utterly despicable as to regret that I came to Tresco and crept into your house last night. Already,--suppo

the earnestness with which I spoke and when I stopped so

good spirits. If you had not come, a woman in great distress and perplex

rn away from between us. I leaned back in my chair; it was as much as I could do to stifle an exclamation. If I had not come, a woman's spi

er eyes to mine. I did not doubt their sincerity. "And--shall I tell you?" she continued with a frank smile. "I am glad, though I hardly know why--I am glad that the man who stretched out his hand was quite

ehension. But sooner or later she would learn the truth, and it

I fear it was not on a woman's account that I travelled down to Tresco. Dick

are here at all events, in the house that is watched" and then she suddenly

which was named Norwithel, and beyond Norwithel o

see?" sh

ing beach of Tean, and to the left stretching out into the sea from the end of S

Golden Ball R

ef, but that the tide is low. But it is not that I wanted to show you.

last I saw a man moving on

ing the wee

he stays there no one can enter this house witho

s in or out by

n. There will be some man smoking his pipe,

never spok

ly watch. I know for whom they watch. I

ed Captain Ha

n sm

besides--I am afraid. I do not know. If these men were questioned closely by some one in a

to risk the words which were on my l

I have once met Cullen Mayle--a

excuse him in the eyes of any one. And for myself I cannot fo

d that she would, but with sufficient firmness to prove to

" I asked. "He

d peaked, and plainly his days were numbered. Helen leaned over the bed, spoke to him and pressed upon his shoulder. The negro opened his eyes. Never in my life had I seen anyth

haps a stranger's voice may rous

ok of intelligence came into the ne

. I looked at him as he lay there, an emaciated motionless figure, the white bedclothes against his ebony skin, and as I thought of his long travels

to tell and it's locked up within him! Bolts and bars," she burst out, "what puny things they seem!

th unusual abruptness, but I was looking a

lemnly. I turned to Helen and I saw that she was staring at me wi

l you of," said I, "I do no

owly as though she was puzzled with some other matter. As we went downstairs I

e is

ely in th

foot of the stairs I as

passage across the

heard a door open and shut,

I, "I do not know but what my conjec

at me and how she had spoken. Had she noticed the scarf? I thrust it back into my pocket and took care that the flap of the pocket should hide it completely. Then I, too, went into the parlour. But as I entered the room I saw then Helen's eyes went at once to my pocket. She had, then, noticed the scarf. It seemed, however, that she was no longer perplexed as to how I came by it. But, on the