Then Eli came to me, and felt me, and fondled me. He smoothed my wrists where they had been bruised the day before, and got some ointment which he rubbed around my neck. Then, when the milk and egg was ready, he poured it in a huge basin, and put it before me. "I'd 'a killed 'un ef you wos dead," he repeated many times, until I wondered at his apparent love for me. When I had drunk what Eli had prepared I felt better. My head began to get clear again, and my strength came back to me. "Naow," wheedled Betsey, when I had finished, "tell me oal about et. Tell me, Jasper, my deear." "You know everything," I replied. "No, not everything; tell me, for ould Betsey'll ave to 'elp 'ee, my deear." So I told her everything, save my love for Naomi Penryn; of that I could not speak to her, it was a secret for my own heart, and I vowed that I would never tell of it until I poured the words in the sweet maid's own ears. At that time I felt sure that the story of my love would remain forever untold. "Do 'ee knaw what this do main, Jasper?" said Betsey, when I had finished. "He bait 'em boath, boath!" laughed Eli, gleefully. "Now, Eli," said Betsey, "hark to Jasper, and hark to me. Now tell me, Jasper." "I think I know," I said. "He mustn't knaw that you've come back to St. Eve," said Betsey. "I tell 'ee, you musn't show yer faace. 'Ee'll never rest till you'm out ov the way. You'll jist be found dead some day, tha's wot'll 'appen. Ef 'ee caan't do et with the law 'ee'll do et wi'out." "Yes," I said. "Well, wot be 'ee goin' to do?" "I'll go back to Granfer Fraddam's Cave. No one can find me there." "Tha's true, but what 'bout yer mait?" "I'll bring 'un mait," said Eli. "I'll bring 'un mait. I knaw, I knaw!" And the poor gnome laughed joyfully. "But that caan't last," said Betsey. "Two months more an' winter'll be 'ere. Besides, you caan't git back Pennington by stayin' in a cave. You knaw what you promised your vather, Jasper; you zaid you wudden rest night nor day 'till you got back Pennington." "I remember," I said. "Bezides," cried Betsey--then she stopped, and looked at me steadily. She had keen, whitey-gray eyes, which shone very brightly. "Do'ee knaw who thicky maid wos that you zeed in Fa'muth 'esterday?" I shook my head. "Purty, ed'n she?" sniggered Betsey. "She's for Nick Trezidder, my deear, tha's wot she's for. Her vather an' mawther's dead, my deear, and she've got piles o' money, an' Richard Trezidder es 'er guardian, an' they main 'er to marry Nick. Her vather was Squire Penryn, my deear, an' 'ee was killed, an' 'er mawther died a bit agone, so the Trezidders 'ev got 'er body and soul." "How do you know?" I asked. "'Ow do I knaw!" sneered Betsey. "'Ow do I knaw everything?" and this was the way she always answered when I asked her such a question. "Where is her home?" I asked. "Where? Up the country somewhere on the north coast. A big 'ous cloas to the say, my deear." "But Penryn is close to Falmouth."