Adventure stories; Fiction; Great Britain -- History -- James II, 1685-1688 -- Fiction
"No, except those large sums which he has won from your uncle from time
to time. Possibly, in the firm belief that your money would some day be
his, he may have checked your uncle's recklessness, and he has never let
Sir John know his position. Sir John was usually an unlucky player, in
the long run he invariably lost, and there has hardly been a guest at
the Abbey who has not enriched himself. This fact set Martin Fairley
scheming. He became 'Galloping Hermit,' the notorious wearer of the
brown mask, and plundered travellers with amazing success. It has been
said of him that he never made a mistake, that the plunder he took was
always large. His victims, too, were always those who had bad
reputations; and, one thing more, Mistress Lanison, his victims have
always won largely at Aylingford Abbey. Where Sir John squandered your
fortune, Martin compelled Sir John's guests to disgorge on the high
road. He knew when they were worth robbing. As 'Galloping Hermit' he got
back a considerable part of your fortune--from the very persons who
profited by Sir John's ill use of it. For my part, I cannot call that
robbery. His plunder he stored at the Abbey, somewhere near the Nun's
Room. You and Crosby escaped from Martin's tower one night that way.
While you have been a prisoner in Dorchester, Martin has been to
Aylingford, and, playing upon Sir John's superstition, showed him one
way of breaking into the secret chamber where a treasure was hidden, and
in exchange heard what Lord Rosmore intended to do with you. You were to
be smuggled back to Aylingford. You will find all the history of his
robberies very clearly stated in those papers, but of the history of the
last few weeks, his rapid movements, his changes of character, his
pretence of poor horsemanship, you will find no mention. Crosby will be
able to tell you much of this. Having rescued you, Martin wanted
completely to secure your safety, and believing that Rosmore's greed was
far greater than his love for you, he conceived a plan which no doubt he
carried out and which I hope was successful. He had carefully placed in
a leather case papers containing his secret, together with the key of
his tower, and full instructions of how his hiding-place was entered.
This case he intended to drop where Rosmore could see it. He believed
that Rosmore would hurry to Aylingford before he made any attempt to
find you. We are close to Southampton, and safe so far, so Martin's idea
of Rosmore may have been a correct one."
"And Martin's money?" asked Barbara.
"Your money," Fellowes corrected. "It was moved from the Abbey some
little time ago, and is hidden at 'The Jolly Farmers.' Since you must be
out of England for a while, Martin thought you might like to give me
instructions concerning it."
"Mad Martin," murmured Barbara.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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