"Yes, sah. Me buckra nigger, sah, and servant to Major Rebb. Him was in command ob a fine black rig'm't, sah." Geary was communicative indeed, and simply told what Gerald had gathered from the wife. However, to shield her, he expressed suitable surprise. "I wonder you don't go back to Jamaica, Geary. After the Tropics this place must be chilly, and extremely dull in winter." "Yas, sah, it berry dull," replied the negro unsuspiciously, "but I hab de inn and de wife and de family, so I getting on berry well. But some day I go back to Port Royal to lib, wid money, and den I a grand jemplem." In this way Adonis chattered all the long way to Silbury, and told Haskins quite a lot about his life with Major Rebb. The negro appeared to be quite devoted to his old master, alleging that Rebb had saved his life when it was in danger. "From what?" asked Gerald idly. "Voodoo!" said Geary, scowling. "I lose one eye in Voodoo," and after this remark he became silent. Haskins had heard of Voodoo, of the terrible African witchcraft, and having an initiate in his company would have liked, from literary curiosity, to learn more. But by this time the trap was entering Silbury and descending the steep High Street, so Geary refused to say anything more. The loss of his eye was evidently a sore subject with him, and small wonder that he loved Rebb if the sight of the other eye had been saved by that military gentleman. When Geary drove away, leaving Haskins at the Prince's Head, that individual thought deeply. CHAPTER VII. LOVE. Haskins, being genuinely Anglo-Saxon, had not the plotting instincts of a conspirator, and was therefore somewhat rough and ready in arranging for a secret meeting with Mavis. However, love sharped his wits and he excused himself to the landlady of the Prince's Head for being absent after midnight on the plea that he had to ride out and see an old friend. In the ordinary course of things there was no reason why he should explain at all; but to make matters entirely safe, should Mr. Geary play the spy--which was just what the creature would do--Haskins thus arranged for an explanation. After dinner he called in Mrs. Jennings and ordered a horse, obtaining at the same time the key of a side door, so that he could admit himself when he returned, somewhere about one o'clock in the morning. Then he gave orders that he was to be called in time for the early morning train, and afterwards snatched forty winks, in order to prepare himself thoroughly for the fatigues of the night.