Out of those who had been living when the treasure was stolen and lost, only Miriam and Long Robin (if indeed it were he) and Esther remained alive.  Esther had retired to London, and was lost to her people.  Miriam had done everything to encourage the belief that the treasure had been made away with by the seven helpers who had gone forth, but had never returned to tell the tale.  Esther, who had thought very differently, had confined her suspicious for a time to her own bosom, and later on had spoken of them only to Joanna.  Upon her had she laid the charge to strive to make restitution, now that vengeance had been inflicted and the curse of the old witch fulfilled.  To Joanna it belonged to restore prosperity to the house of Wyvern through the daughters’ sons, and it was for her to strive to learn where the treasure lay, and give notice of the spot to the Trevlyns.

The queen had done all that she could.  She had watched with close attention the pair with whom Esther believed the secret to lie.  Miriam, her mother, knew not the spot, of that she was convinced; but she did know that the treasure had been hidden somewhere in the forest by her husband, and that the exact place was known to the white-bearded man whom she and others called Long Robin.

About that weird old man, said to be well-nigh a hundred years old, a flavour of romance existed.  Men looked upon him as bearing a charmed existence.  He went his lonely way unheeded by all.  He was said to have dealings with the fairies and the pixies of the forest.  All regarded him with a species of awe.  He had drawn, as it were, a charmed circle about himself and his ways.  None desired to interfere with him; none questioned his coming or going.  All brought to him a share of the spoil taken on the roads as a matter of right and due, but none looked to receive aught in return from him.  He and Miriam, from their great age, lived as it were apart.  They took the place of patriarchal heads of the tribe, and were treated with reverence and filial respect by all.

The question Cuthbert had pressed home on Joanna was why, this being so, the treasure had not been moved away before this, so that Miriam should end her days in peace and luxury, instead of growing old in the wilds of the forest.

Joanna’s reply had been that she did not think Miriam had ever really wished to leave the free forest life; that with her, vengeance upon the Trevlyns had been the leading impulse of her life; and that she had no covetous desires herself after the gold.  Old Robin had loved it with the miser’s love; but doubtless the younger Robin (if indeed the long-bearded man were he) was waiting till such time as Miriam should be dead, and he alone in full possession of the golden secret.  Then he would without doubt bear it away and live like a prince the rest of his days; but for the present he made no move, and Joanna was very certain that he suspected her of watching him, as indeed she did, and he had shown himself as