Rees let himself be led out by the librarian; but when the latter wished to direct his steps towards the ruins of Carstow Castle, he drew back and protested. “Not to the castle. I don’t want to go to any place which reminds me of that man and the humiliation he put me to to-day.” “Try to get over that feeling,” insisted Amos, gently drawing him forward in the direction of the old walls. “Take my word for it, the humiliation will some day be on the other side. Besides, the old castle can hardly be called his property. Any treasure found buried in the ruins would not be his; it would belong to that vague thing, ‘the Crown.’” “Treasure!” echoed Rees, astonished. “Why, surely you don’t believe that cock-and-bull story Lady Marion told me! Lord St. Austell himself said that every ruin in the three kingdoms had some such story attached to it, as surely as the ivy.” “That doesn’t prove that it may not sometimes be well authenticated. As a matter of fact, in this case I believe it to be so.” “Have you told the earl?” “When I hinted my belief it was received with derision. So I have kept it to myself till now.” “With derision, do you say? But Lady Marion thought there was something in the story. And she thought you had kept back part of the story.” “So I had. It would have been of no use to Lady Marion; so far, indeed, it has been none to me. But with your help----” “You don’t count on my help for a robbery, surely!” interrupted Rees with much haughtiness. “No. Of what use would it be for anybody to count upon your help in a dishonorable action? I am not so stupid. But I do think that you will not refuse your assistance in discovering the treasure, if indeed it should exist, which is, as you say, by no means certain. The search will be an arduous one, and will require the exercise of qualities of no common order. But if something should come of it, think what a splendid opportunity you would have of heaping coals of fire on the head of the man who insulted you so lightly to-day. That, indeed, would be a noble revenge, and his lordship could hardly, in common gratitude, do less than accept you for a son-in-law if you put in his hands such a handsome supply of ready money.” “But if this apocryphal treasure really existed, and were discovered by us, how do you know what its amount would be? And what good would it do to Lord St. Austell if buried treasure goes, as you say, to the Crown?” “The treasure, if it exists, consists either in the jewels--royal jewels, mind, which Henrietta Maria sent to the Netherlands to be sold--or in the proceeds of that sale, which, it was expected, would be sufficient to wipe off long arrears of debt to a whole army and to pay for the levying of fresh troops. Now only two-thirds of a buried treasure are claimed by the Crown. Wouldn’t the remaining third of such a sum as that be a comfortable little windfall?”