Nevertheless, I do beg you all to believe of me—­and I think that, after following me so long, you must believe it—­that I did not even know at the time of Lord Jeffreys’s high promotion.  Not that my knowledge of this would have led me to act otherwise in the matter; for my object was to pay into an office, and not to any official; neither if I had known the fact, could I have seen its bearing upon the receipt of my money.  For the King’s Exchequer is, meseemeth, of the Common Law; while Chancery is of Equity, and well named for its many chances.  But the true result of the thing was this—­Lord Jeffreys being now head of the law, and almost head of the kingdom, got possession of that money, and was kindly pleased with it.

And this met our second difficulty; for the law having won and laughed over the spoil, must have injured its own title by impugning our legality.

Next, with regard to the women and children, we were long in a state of perplexity.  We did our very best at the farm, and so did many others to provide for them, until they should manage about their own subsistence.  And after a while this trouble went, as nearly all troubles go with time.  Some of the women were taken back by their parents, or their husbands, or it may be their sweethearts; and those who failed of this, went forth, some upon their own account to the New World plantations, where the fairer sex is valuable; and some to English cities; and the plainer ones to field work.  And most of the children went with their mothers, or were bound apprentices; only Carver Doone’s handsome child had lost his mother and stayed with me.

This boy went about with me everywhere.  He had taken as much of liking to me—­first shown in his eyes by the firelight—­as his father had of hatred; and I, perceiving his noble courage, scorn of lies, and high spirit, became almost as fond of Ensie as he was of me.  He told us that his name was “Ensie,” meant for “Ensor,” I suppose, from his father’s grandfather, the old Sir Ensor Doone.  And this boy appeared to be Carver’s heir, having been born in wedlock, contrary to the general manner and custom of the Doones.

However, although I loved the poor child, I could not help feeling very uneasy about the escape of his father, the savage and brutal Carver.  This man was left to roam the country, homeless, foodless, and desperate, with his giant strength, and great skill in arms, and the whole world to be revenged upon.  For his escape the miners, as I shall show, were answerable; but of the Counsellor’s safe departure the burden lay on myself alone.  And inasmuch as there are people who consider themselves ill-used, unless one tells them everything, straitened though I am for space, I will glance at this transaction.