And
thus for the hundredth time I came to rack my brain to know where the
diamond could be hid, and thought at last it must be buried in the
churchyard, because of the talk of Blackbeard being seen on wild nights
digging there for his treasure. But then, I reasoned, that very like it
was the contrabandiers whom men had seen with spades when they were
digging out the passage from the tomb to the vault, and set them down for
ghosts because they wrought at night. And while I was busy with such
thoughts, the door opened in the house below me, and out came Grace with
a hood on her head and a basket for wild flowers in her hand.
I watched to see which way she would walk; and as soon as she took the
path that leads up Weatherbeech, made off through the dry brushwood to
meet her, for we had settled she should never go that road except when
Maskew was away. So there we met and spent an hour together on the hill,
though I shall not write here what we said, because it was mostly silly
stuff. She spoke much of the auction and of Elzevir leaving the Why Not?,
and though she never said a word against her father, let me know what
pain his doing gave her. But most she grieved that we were leaving
Moonfleet, and showed her grief in such pretty ways, as made me almost
glad to see her sorry. And from her I learned that Maskew was indeed
absent from home, having been called away suddenly last night.
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