Then I took her hand in mine and raised it to my lips, and said, ’Dear Mistress Grace, I have forgotten nothing, and honour you above all others:  but of love I may not speak more to you—­nor you to me, for we are no more boy and girl as in times past, but you a noble lady and I a broken wretch’; and with that I told how I had been ten years a prisoner, and why, and showed her the iron ring upon my wrist, and the brand upon my cheek.

At the brand she stared, and said, ’Speak not of wealth; ’tis not wealth makes men, and if you have come back no richer than you went, you are come back no poorer, nor poorer, John, in honour.  And I am rich and have more wealth than I can rightly use, so speak not of these things; but be glad that you are poor, and were not let to profit by that evil treasure.  But for this brand, it is no prison name to me, but the Mohunes’ badge, to show that you are theirs and must do their bidding.  Said I not to you, Have a care how you touch the treasure, it was evilly come by and will bring a curse with it?  But now, I pray you, with a greater earnestness, seeing you bear this mark upon you, touch no penny of that treasure if it should some day come back to you, but put it to such uses as Colonel Mohune thought would help his sinful soul.’

With that she took her hand from mine and bade me ‘good night’, leaving me in the darkening room with the glow from the fire lighting up the sail and the outline of the body that lay under it.  After she was gone I pondered long over what she had said, and what that should mean when she spoke of the treasure one day coming back to me:  but wondered much the most to find how constant is the love of woman, and how she could still find a place in her heart for so poor a thing as I. But as to what she said, I was to learn her meaning this very night.

Master Ratsey had come in and gone again, not stopping with me very long, because there was much doing on the beach; but bidding me be of good cheer, and have no fear of the law; for that the ban against me and the head-price had been dead for many a year.  ’Twas Grace had made her lawyers move for this, refusing herself to sign the hue and cry, and saying that the fatal shot was fired by misadventure.  And so a dread which was just waking was laid to rest for ever; and when Ratsey went I made up the fire, and lay down in the blankets in front of it, for I was dog-tired and longed for sleep.  I was already dozing, but not asleep, when there was a knock at the door, and in walked Mr. Glennie.  He was aged, and stooped a little, as I could see by the firelight, but for all that I knew him at once, and sitting up offered him what welcome I could.