“And do you suppose, sir, that I should hint to you of such a voyage if I meant you to be at the charge of it? No, sir; if you want two thousand pounds, or five, to fit a ship, take it! Take it, sir! I hoarded money for my child: and now I will spend it to avenge her.” Amyas was silent for a while; the old man still held his arm, still looked up steadfastly and fiercely in his face. “Bring me home that man's head, and take ship, prizes--all! Keep the gain, sir, and give me the revenge!” “Gain? Do you think I need bribing, sir? What kept me silent was the thought of my mother. I dare not go without her leave.” Salterne made a gesture of impatience. “I dare not, sir; I must obey my parent, whatever else I do.” “Humph!” said he. “If others had obeyed theirs as well!--But you are right, Captain Leigh, right. You will prosper, whoever else does not. Now, sir, good-night, if you will let me be the first to say so. My old eyes grow heavy early now-a-days. Perhaps it's old age, perhaps it's sorrow.” So Amyas departed to the inn, and there, to his great joy, found Cary waiting for him, from whom he learnt details, which must be kept for another chapter, and which I shall tell, for convenience' sake, in my own words and not in his. CHAPTER XV HOW MR. JOHN BRIMBLECOMBE UNDERSTOOD THE NATURE OF AN OATH “The Kynge of Spayn is a foul paynim, And lieveth on Mahound; And pity it were that lady fayre Should marry a heathen hound.” Kyng Estmere. About six weeks after the duel, the miller at Stow had come up to the great house in much tribulation, to borrow the bloodhounds. Rose Salterne had vanished in the night, no man knew whither. Sir Richard was in Bideford: but the old steward took on himself to send for the keepers, and down went the serving-men to the mill with all the idle lads of the parish at their heels, thinking a maiden-hunt very good sport; and of course taking a view of the case as favorable as possible to Rose. They reviled the miller and his wife roundly for hard-hearted old heathens; and had no doubt that they had driven the poor maid to throw herself over cliff, or drown herself in the sea; while all the women of Stow, on the other hand, were of unanimous opinion that the hussy had “gone off” with some bad fellow; and that pride was sure to have a fall, and so forth.