"No, Jasper Pennington, this must not be. Naomi Penryn must never live in a home bought with the price of crime. But you are sure she is safe?"
He spoke like a man demented, and yet his earnestness, his evident hatred of crime made me patient. Moreover, he had come upon me at a critical time, and was to an extent a sharer in my secret.
"Look you, Esau, or Cain, or whatever else you may call yourself," I said, "these are but idle words of yours--idle words. I have committed no crime, I hurt no man, I am poor, I have been robbed of my rights, my home. Here, I trust, is my power to win back my home and give it to my love, who is dearer to me than my life."
"There is no need, Jasper Pennington, I tell you there is no need! Throw this thing to the Hell's Mouth, by which it has been lying. Take me to your love; let me see her face, and then--well, I will not promise what, but it shall be well with you," and he laughed like a man from whose life a great fear had gone.
I looked at him, and he presented a strange appearance in the light of the moon on that lonely island. I could not let the treasure slip from my hands at his bidding, for what was the promise of such as he, whose every action told me he was mad?
"Look you," he continued, "I have followed you for your good. I tried to keep you from leaving Land's End last night, I followed you to the cave in Kynance Cove. Come, there is more danger around than you think."
The words had scarcely escaped my lips when I heard the sound of voices, and Eli gave a shriek as though some one had given him a deadly blow.
I turned and saw several men standing close by me. A moment later one spoke.
"Oa, Jasper Pennington, this _es_ kind of 'ee to come 'ere like this. You knawed I wanted to vind out Granfer Fraddam's secret, did'n 'ee, then? An' you was a goin' to make a present of et to me, wad'n 'ee, then? Well, you be kind, Jasper."
"Iss, Cap'n Jack. Allays a friend to 'ee, Jasper, a stiddy, pious man I be. So es Billy Coad 'ere. Ther's few people c'n give sich a religious experience as Billy. Well, we vound out wot you was up to, so we be cum to help 'ee, my deear boy."
I saw that all was lost. The treasure, if treasure there was, could never be mine.