"Be sure and give it to Doubledick himself," he said. "Iss, I woll, sir," said the woman. An hour afterwards Mr. Mildmay came up to the house. "This is the worst slap in the face we have ever had, Polwhele," he said. "Why on earth didn’t you collar Tonkin?" "Why didn’t you?" retorted the riding-officer angrily. "The cutter is for chasing luggers, not my horse." "Don’t fly out at me. We are both in the same hole. The only pleasant feature in the whole miserable business is that Trevanion will never freight another cargo." "What do you suppose Delarousse will do with him?" "Skin him, I should think. What a pair of numskulls we have been about that plausible scoundrel!" "A good riddance to the Squire, too," said the riding-officer. "But the property is still his, I suppose." "Without doubt. The Dower House will be a heap of ashes, but the land and the mine are still John Trevanion’s, for all they were bought with money villainously come by. However, the miners haven’t brought up enough metal to buy their candles, and as there is no one to pay their wages, they’ll close down again, certainly. By the way, you still have young Jake, I suppose?" "No, confound it all! He escaped this morning. I fancy he must have been among those fellows who got along the reef to the lugger." "Whew! Doubledick had better make himself scarce, then." "Yes; I have sent Mary down with a note for him. I had promised him to keep Jake till to-morrow morning, in return for a piece of information." "What! a run after all?" "Yes, Tonkin intends to run at Lunnan Cove to-night. We’ll not let him slip this time." "By George, no! I shall enjoy my Christmas better if we’ve dished that bold fellow. I’ll go back to the cutter and turn in for a spell. You’ll arrange with the dragoons?" "I will. They’re not in the sweetest of tempers, I assure you, and no wonder. But I told them to go and get a sleep at the inn, and made ’em swear to keep sober. Mrs. Doubledick won’t give them too much to drink, however; I threatened her with pains and penalties if she did." "Have a thimbleful before you go, Mildmay. We’ll drink to success at Lunnan Cove." Mr. Polwhele’s housekeeper set out with the firm intention of carrying the note straight to Doubledick. But the sight of the blazing mansion was too much for her resolution; so magnificent a spectacle had never been seen at Polkerran before. When she reached the bridge, instead of turning to the left towards the inn, she went straight along the road, intending to watch the fire at close quarters for a little while, and call on Doubledick on the way back. She had put the note into her pocket.