The Birthright

son beside the open fireplace, watching a crock which stea

ve, I spoase?" was her first greeting

xplain; at the same time, I felt rather fearful at the thought that she should

w where I have

ered Betsey; "how do

oked toward a loaf of bre

e and faint, too. 'Ere's summin that'll do 'ee good, my deear," and going to a cupboard, she took a two-

swallowed one mouthful I could take

s in the pillory yesterday, and he seed Richard Trezidder and Neck Trezidder and Emily Trezidder, and another maid, a very purty one. Then 'ee runned

trangely, while he watched me with his strange, wild-looking eyes. But

I got so much sperrits. Well, p'raps I shall tell 'ee zoon. We sh'

been bruised the day before, and got some ointment which he rubbed around my neck. Th

" he repeated many times, until I w

felt better. My head began to get clear

had finished, "tell me oal about

verything,"

me, for ould Betsey'll a

secret for my own heart, and I vowed that I would never tell of it until I poured the words in the s

o main, Jasper?" said Be

h, boath!" laughe

hark to Jasper, and hark t

I know,

t show yer faace. 'Ee'll never rest till you'm out ov the way. You'll jist be found dea

," I

be 'ee go

er Fraddam's Cave. No

but what 'b

ll bring 'un mait. I knaw, I knaw!"

you caan't git back Pennington by stayin' in a cave. You knaw what you promised your

mber,"

ly. She had keen, whitey-gray eyes, which shone very brightly. "D

ok my

my deear, and she've got piles o' money, an' Richard Trezidder es 'er guardian, an' they main 'er to marry Nick. Her vather wa

ou know?"

aw everything?" and this was the way she alwa

her home

re on the north coast. A big '

is close t

e's good, she's purty, an' she's rich, but she's for Nick Trezidder. Thews

ould not tell the secret of my heart, altho

goin' to do then, Jasper, an' 'ow be 'ee g

I said. "I must think. B

ut not so ais

lp 'un,"

can you

, as though he were tickled. After that

ake me suffer. So I determined to stay in Granfer Fraddam's Cave as long as I could, and I knew that Eli would find out everything about what went on at Pennington and tell me. Looking back now, my conduct seems foolish in the extreme. I could do no good by staying in the cave, I could not get an inch nearer my purpose. It would have been far more

her. Besides, even if it were possible for me to win her love I had no right to do so. Pennington seemed further from my grasp than ever, while Richard Tresidder's hold on it grew stronger day by day. I was thinking of these things when I saw, two or three hundred yards out at sea, standing on a rock, a woman's form. The rock was a large one, and went by the name of

allow themselves to be caught by the tide in such a way. On looking again, however, my heart gave a great leap-the woman on the rock was Naomi Penryn. A feeling of joy surged through me. At last I had my chance, I should be able to speak to her without let or hindrance. As I have before stated, the cave had but few houses near. Ikey Trethewy's cottage stood at some little distance away from the coppice where the land entrance to the cave had been made, but it was not visible from "The

came up; "there is no danger. I c

that she shrank from me, too, as though she were afraid. At this a coldness crept i

"I know my way among the rock

y. Most likely she remembered wha

every minute. I know you distrust me, for the Tresidders hate me; but if I did not desire to h

I had angered her, then she looked at

r very deep?

replied, "but it is shallower

can swim with me t

will hold you above my head. You are not heavy and

" she laughed, half fearfully I t

"I am afraid your feet will have to be wet, just a little, for my shoulders are in the water.

ces toward the shore, she standing on my shoulders an

first time that my flesh touched hers, and with the touch a thrill of gladne

eting of the waves against my body I felt not one whit! I think she must have felt my grea

asked presently, when I h

yellow sands, and although the waves still broke, I felt their force not a

o glad a thing was it to feel her fingers fastening themselves around mine. Perhaps she regarded me as she might regard a fisherman who might have rendered her a

feet were wet, and no one could tell

I had done so immediately afterward, for I could see that my c

ry clothes at o

ingly, "save my jacket and wai

will be v

the sun will not go down for three hours ye

said; "I cannot swim, and but for

climbed to the top of the rock, and

to get there, but it was very tempting to climb on the rock and sit and watch the sea. I must

y. "I thought first it was Emily Tresidd

nd face. Besides, you should not hate the

ry for yo

e steadily, but

Falmouth when you saw me before, and I just escaped being flogge

you think you are sa

, I suppose; I sha

you th

idder where I am, and then my l

o, for I saw her lips tremble

"and do you not judge the Tresidders wron

hen; they have told you that I

w from the look on her face

us, then she said, "I thank you very mu

hear my story,"

you tell me?

said; "because you have known me only as one who

me to go on. So I told her my story eagerly, told it tru

"That is," she said, correcting hersel

then, that I hate the Tresidders, is it any wonder that I

ng man to pounce upon a

was full of people, and he has everything on his side,

the law on

serve his own ends. He and his mothe

half the worth of Penningt

fry has the copy of the will. I have seen

ick tried to stab you?

, even though he sought to ruin me. Perhaps I was wrong to hurt him, but I was mad w

ways brings misery, and love always br

round and sting my hand; I would catch it just behind the head. It might writhe and wriggle, but I should know that it could not bite me. That is how I want to treat

esidder is very kind to me, but Pennington is not like home-that is-" Then she stopped as though she had

s Nick Tresidder and his fat

ould see them with sufficient clearness for me to recognise them. They could

she cried. "I have been awa

to them,

are two of us. Do you think t

e been part

ey will ask who

t wish to

know you are near you will be hunted dow

if you will," I

do wha

ind these rocks until we ge

few seconds later we stood be

see us, do

fancy not," I added, for I had my fears; "but come, walk on the

e my clothes lay. These I pick

safe now

will soon come up, an

it a hundred times and not see it. So I helped her to climb up the cliff until I got to a small platform, and afterward passed along the fissure between the rocks and drew her after me, and then, when she had followed me a few steps

ick Tresidder or his father had recognised her, she would be exposed to many awkward questionings, which would be hard for her to answer; neither did I desire that she should have to suffer for me. I marvelled greatly, too, that she should have understood the situation so easily, and that, in spite of all my enemies must have said, she seemed to trust me so implicitl

s to write down these thoughts, they

she said, questioningly,

ey know the ca

and Pennington was her home, it did not feel strange at that moment that she

ty feet of shingle between water and land. So I stood and watched, but I could not as yet

u see

ad scarcely time to get here yet,

laim on her, who was a stranger, save that I had carried her to the shore, which of course was nothing. By that I mean to say it was nothing for which she should s

g?" she asked a

, for at that moment they had passed t