"Well, well," he continued, after waiting a moment for my reply, "as long as you understand that, it does not matter. I confess I should have preferred to talk with you and not merely to you. However, before I kill you--and I suppose you guess that I am going to kill you as soon as I've done with you--I wish to have just a word, Master Jasper Trenoweth." From the tone in which he said the words he might have been congratulating me on some great good fortune. He paused awhile as if to allow the full force of them to sink in, and then took up the Golden Clasp. Holding the pieces together with the fore-finger and thumb of his right hand, he advanced and thrust it right under my sight-- "Do you see that? Can you read it?" As I was still mute he walked back to the chest and laid the clasp down again. "Aha!" he exclaimed with a short laugh horrible to hear, "you won't speak. But there have been times, Mr. Jasper Trenoweth, when you would have given your soul to lay hands upon this piece of gold and read what is written upon it. It is a pity your hands are tied--a thousand pities. But I do not wish to be hard on you, and so I don't mind reading out what is written here. The secret will be safe with you, don't you see? Quite--safe--with--you." He rolled out these last words, one by one, with infinite relish; and the mockery in the depths of those eyes seared me far more than my bonds. After watching the effect of his taunt he resumed his seat upon the stool, pulled the clasp towards him and said-- "People might call me rash for entrusting these confidences to you. But I do not mind admitting that I owe you some reparation--some anterior reparation. So, as I don't wish you to die cursing me, I will be generous. Listen!" He held the buckle down upon the table and read out the inscription as follows:-- START AT FULL MOON END SOUTH. POINT 27 FEET N.N.W. 22 FEET. W. OF RING NORTH SIDE 4. FEET 6 INCHES DEEP AT POINT. OF MEETING LOW WATER 1.5 HOURS. He read it through twice very slowly, and each time as he ceased looked up to see how I took it. "It does not seem to make much sense, does it?" he asked. "But wait a moment and let me parcel it out into sentences. I should not like you to miss any of its meaning. Listen again." He divided the writing up thus:-- "Start at full moon. End South Point 27 feet N.N.W. 22 feet W. of Ring. North Side. 4 feet 6 inches deep at point of meeting. Low water 1.5 hours."