“Aye,” pursued the wretch, with a withering sneer, “and you killed me to save the beggarly life of a smuggler’s brat! Oho! may the memory give you joy! Oh, I am burning up!” “Dear, dear grandpa!” Cordelia exclaimed, hastening to her guardian’s side and winding her arms about his neck. “Oh, do not notice him. Look to us who love you, and who--” “Love one another!” Oakleigh broke in, madly. “Oho! Aha, old man! what did I tell you? A thousand guineas to a pewter sixpence you give your consent yet to the marriage of the baronet’s daughter with the spawn of the--oh, how it burns!” The priest, a man whom Oakleigh had been able to buy, after confession to him who and what he was, proved to be a handy surgeon, and he at once proceeded to examine the wound. It was in the left side, toward the breast and near the heart, and it was very quickly pronounced fatal, though the clerical leech said the patient might live several hours. If he was to be moved, the sooner it was done the better. “Let me die at the castle,” said the wounded man. “If I am to live for hours, let my good, kind grandfather be blessed with the sight of his handiwork!” At this point Percy and Cordelia, who had found opportunity for a word together--she had sprung to him at the very first, in the fullness of her heart, to bless him for having come to save her. “Oh,” she had cried, “I knew you would come!”--these two came to the old man’s aid and led him away. “The man is mad,” said Maitland. “You shall not suffer the cruel torture more.” “Come, dear grandpa! Come with us.” They led him to the entrance, where he promised to go with his darling, after which Percy returned and attended to the arrangements for moving the wounded man; but he finally gave the work into the hands of old Michael, the priest having promised to accompany them to the castle. Meantime Mr. Tisdale, with two of his men, had gone on to the outer cave, toward the face of the slope, where he was just in season to meet others of his men, who informed him that they had captured ten of the pirate crew outside. And this completed the work. They believed they had taken all who had left the brig. Under these circumstances, as the constable could not be wanted at the castle, he returned to the cave with a few of his men and took in charge all the prisoners, saving only the wounded chief; and while the servants of the earl conveyed him forth, by way of the old chapel, he and his force would take the others down over the slope of the crag, outside. On their way through the long and devious subterranean passage Matthew Brandon did not once open his lips; but when they had reached the chapel, and he saw our hero start to move the altar back against the wall, thus uncovering the secret pass, he burst forth, though weakly: “Oho! So it’s you? Viper! You have found the secret. Oh, may the fiends of--” He stopped, with a shoot of pain in his side, and was forced to hold his tongue for a time.