"I'm not," said Humphrey, trying to make out whence the voice came, and
only able to surmise that it was from somewhere over the dark corner
where he slept.
"I want Dennis Kelly," said the voice.
"He's not here. Away with the schooner," continued Humphrey.
"Oh!"
The ejaculation came like a moan of disappointment.
"Here, who are you?" cried Humphrey.
"No; he cannot be away, sir. But hist! hush, for heaven's sake! You
will be heard," said the voice. "Speak low."
"Well, I'll speak in a whisper if you like," said Humphrey. "But where
are you?"
"Up above your chamber," was the reply. "There is a place where the
stones are broken away."
"Then I am watched," thought Humphrey, as the announcement recalled the
captain.
"Can you see me?" he asked.
"I cannot see you where you are now, but I could if you went and lay
down upon your couch."
"Then I'll go there," said Humphrey, crossing the great chamber to throw
himself on the blankets and skins. "Now, then, what do you want with
Dinny?"
"I knew the captain had gone to sea," said the voice, evasively; "but I
did not know Kelly had been taken too. He cannot be, without letting me
know."
"Can you come down and talk to me!"
"No; you are too well watched."
"Then how did you get here?"
"I crept through the forest and climbed up," was the reply. "I can see
you now."
"But how did you know you could see me there?"
"I thought I could. I was watching for someone a little while ago, and
saw the captain looking down through here."
"I thought as much," said Humphrey, half aloud; and he was about to
speak again when Bart entered suddenly, looked sharply round, and showed
the wisdom of his new visitor by going straight to the window and
looking out.
"Who were you talking to?" he said, gruffly, as he came back, still
looking suspiciously round.
"To myself," said Humphrey, quite truthfully, for his last remark had
been so addressed.
Bart uttered a grunt, and glanced at the dinner.
"Done?" he said.
"No. Surely I may spend as long as I like over my meals here."
Bart nodded and went out, the heavy curtain falling behind him; while
Humphrey slowly rose and went back to the stone altar, where he filled a
silver cup from the flask and drank, and then began humming an air.
After this he walked to the curtain and peered cautiously through into
the dark corridor, to see the heavy figure of the buccaneer's henchman
go slowly along past the patches of dull green light streaming through
the openings which occurred some thirty feet apart.
"Gone!" said Humphrey, returning quickly. "Are you there?"
"Yes. I could hear everything."
"Listen!" said Humphrey, quickly. "You are Mistress Greenheys?"
"Yes."
"And you love Dennis Kelly?"
There was silence.
"You need not fear me. I know your history," continued Humphrey. "You
are, like myself, a prisoner and in the power of that black-looking
lieutenant."
There was a piteous sigh here, and then came with a sob--
"I am a miserable slave, sir."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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