“Then come along;” and, only stopping to exchange a few words in passing with the landlady, out they all went, and Reuben was left alone, a prey to the thoughts which now came crowding into his mind.

For a few minutes he sat with his arms resting on the table as if communing with himself:  then, starting up as if filled with a sudden resolve, he went out and asked the landlady a few commonplace questions, and finally inquired whereabouts and in what direction did the rendezvous lie.

“Close down by the bridge, the first house after you pass the second turning.  Why?” she said:  “be ’ee wanting to see anybody there?”

“No,” said Reuben:  “I only heard the fellows that came in there talking about the rendezvous, and I wondered whether I’d passed it.”

“Why, iss, o’ course you did, comin’ in.  ’Tis the house with the flag stream-in’ over the doorways.”

Reuben waited for no further information.  He said something about not knowing it was so late, bade the landlady a rather abrupt farewell, and went his way.

Down the narrow street he hurried, turned a corner, and found himself in front of the house indicated, outside which all was dark.  Nobody near, and, with the exception of himself, not a soul to be seen.  Inside, he could hear voices, and the more plainly from the top sash of the window being a little way open.  By the help of the iron stanchion driven in to support the flagstaff he managed to get up, steady himself on the window-sill and take a survey of the room.  Several men were in it, and among them the two he had already seen, one of whom was speaking to a person whom, from his uniform, Reuben took to be an officer.

The sight apparently decided what he had before hesitated about, and getting; down he took from his pocket a slip of paper—­one he had provided in case he should want to leave a message for Eve—­and rapidly wrote on it these words:  “The Lottery is expected at Polperro tonight.  They will land at Down End as soon as the tide will let them get near.”

Folding this, he once more mounted the window-sill, tossed the paper into the room, lingered for but an instant to see that it was picked up, then jumped down, ran with all speed, and was soon lost amid the darkness which surrounded him.

As he hurried from the house an echo seemed to carry to his ears the shout which greeted this surprise—­a surprise which set every one talking at once, each one speaking and no one listening.  Some were for going, some for staying away, some for treating it as a serious matter, others for taking it as a joke.