"Well, I did n't want to make a fuss before the strangers, so I said I would; and I made some nice hot cakes and fried a chicken, and turned out the tea, but I would n't touch a drop, more than if it were poison. The two men were English, as I made out by their talk, and one of them was captain of the brig. He had been drinking a little, and he kept throwing out hints which made me open my ears, and caused the other man to swear at him for a fool. "Well, I did up the work, and was just going up-stairs to bed, when Abiram stopped me. "'What is it?' I asked sharply enough. "'I only wanted to say that thee need n't be scared if thee hears a noise in the night,' said he meekly. 'I have got some goods aboard the brig, and I am going to have them unloaded, because the captain wants to get away.' "Somehow it flashed across me all in a minute what the goods were. So instead of going to bed, I blew out the candle and sat down behind the curtain to watch. Presently I saw the men from the brig bringing up the goods all covered with tarpaulins and stow them in the cellar. They had nearly finished when one of the men let fall a square box, and I knew by the sound that something had broken. The captain cursed him for a clumsy fool. Abiram brought out a broom, and I could see them sweeping and brushing something. Finally the business was finished, the men went away, and Abiram came up-stairs and went to bed. He was generally the first one up in the morning, but this time I stole a march on him, and was down before six o'clock. I took the lantern and began searching where I had seen them sweeping the night before, and sure enough, in a little hollow by the side of the path I found about half a handful of nice green tea! "I gathered up the tea in my hands and wrapped it in a paper I had in my pocket, and then I stole down to the creek, to the place where I knew Abiram's little skiff was tied up. It was no sudden move. I had been thinking all night, and I made up my mind that I must see Lewis and tell him the whole story. For, absurd as it may seem, I was really afraid Aunt Betsy would contrive some way to marry me to Abiram even against my will. "The tide was running out and helped me, and I was soon at James Whitecar's landing, for I knew how to handle a boat. I found Lewis at the barn, told him the whole story, and showed him the tea. You ought to have seen how his eyes flashed. "'So that is what he has been up to!' said he. 'We have been watching him for a week, and suspected as much.' Then he called Stephen Whitecar, James' brother, a great friend of his, and showed him the tea. "'We'll take care of him!' said Stephen. 'Only thee keep quiet, Sybilla, and don't let on that thee knows anything.'" "Was Stephen a Friend?" I asked. "Well, yes, he belonged to Meeting, and his mother was a preacher, as I told you. So we talked it over, and Stephen was for calling his mother, and having me stay, but I said I thought I had better go right back.