"I take no interest in your friend or what he wants," said Trevanion. "I am more concerned about you, Doubledick. You’re not safe here, you know." "That’s what I’ve come to see ’ee about," returned the innkeeper. "But truly I be a bufflehead; I ought to ha’ named un to ’ee, in course I ought. His name is Delarousse, Maister. And to tell ’ee the truth, thinkin’ he was a bit over coorious in the questions he axed, I telled un a thing or two as wer a trifle crooked, I did. I telled un how this Maister Trevanion as he thought was Robinson was often away from home, and how ’a dwelt in a big house on the cliff called the Towers. He axed I if the Towers was near the top of a hill, and I telled un ’twas a goodish bit away, Maister Robinson—Trevanion, I mean—havin’ come into the property. Thinks I to myself, if he comes to Polkerran one fine day a-caprousin’ and makin’ a stoor, ’t’ud be just as well he went up-along to Towers and showed his tantrums to the cussed folk theer. What do ’ee say to that, Maister John?" "You are talking a deal of nonsense, Doubledick," was the answer. "Don’t you understand that as soon as ’tis known you are back in the village you’ll be arrested for kidnapping Penwarden?" "Oh, ay, that’s what they say, is it? But don’t ’ee think, now, we could persuade the officers o’ the law to leave me bide?" "Quite impossible. Penwarden and my young cousin will swear to you, and there has been such a stir about the matter that Sir Bevil or the Vicar will sign the warrant the moment they hear of your arrival." "Maybe. But money do make the mare to go, Maister, and seems to I, if so be you’d help, we med put a clapper on evil-speakin’ tongues. A-course ’t ’ud need a pretty big sum to do it proper, but theer, what’s that to ’ee, rollin’ in money as you be? And I know well ye’ll put yer hand in pocket to help a poor feller in a quag, purticler as he’ve done summat for ’ee, in Polkerran and Rusco both." "I’ll be hanged if I do," cried Trevanion, at last shaken out of his composure. "You made a wretched bungle of a simple job, and you’ll have to take the consequences." "Good now! I like to hear a man speak fine and brave, but I hev a brave mouth-speech o’ my own." Doubledick’s tone was as smooth and deferential as it had been throughout the conversation, but an onlooker might now have observed that he was beginning to show his teeth. "Zacky Tonkin, now," he proceeded: "I reckon he’d be fain to know why Delarousse warn’t no longer the feller to do trade with: that bit o’ knowledge med be worth payin’ for. And Sir Bevil: iss sure, his darter be a nesh young female——" "Confound you! What do you mean by that?" cried Trevanion. "Ah! little small birds do carr’ little small seeds, they do. High persons like Sir Bevil be mighty purticler when ’tis question o’ lawful matrimony." Trevanion, red with anger, rose from his chair and came towards Doubledick threateningly.