both otho killigrew and his brother clement bowed courteously to hugh boscawen. both, too, appeared perfectly at ease in his presence.
"i have asked you to come here," said viscount falmouth to them blandly, "in order to substantiate the charge you made last night against roger trevanion."
"i should have been glad to have escaped the duty," replied otho, speaking slowly as was his wont, "but as a loyal subject of our gracious majesty, george ii., whom may god preserve, i could do no other."
"you could not if your charges are true," was falmouth's rejoinder. "the name of killigrew hath long been associated with the best life of the county. i remember that the coat-of-arms of falmouth, with which town i am so closely associated by name and interest, is taken from that of the killigrews. let me see, your arms are those of the devonshire killigrews, and are gules, three mascles or. it pleases me much that your branch of that ancient and honourable family remain loyal,[pg 240] especially as evil reports have been rife concerning you."
"my father hath allowed reports to go forth uncontradicted," replied otho; "he found that by so doing he could best serve his king. and as a further proof of the loyalty of our family, we have at the first opportunity laid information before you concerning this man, roger trevanion."
"will you be good enough to repeat here what you stated last night concerning him, so that he may have every opportunity of defending himself?"
i cannot here put down in exact words the story which otho killigrew told, for in truth i cannot do justice to the subtlety of his mind, nor describe his power of twisting actions and statements which were most innocent into what seemed definite proof that i was a most determined enemy of the king. as i listened my power of speech seemed for a time to be gone, and i could do nothing but stare first at him, and then at hugh boscawen as though i was a born fool. i saw, too, on consideration, that my actions had laid me open to such an accusation. i had pretended to be a papist; i had declared myself to be in favor of the return of charles the pretender; i had promised old colman killigrew to obtain recruits to fight against the king. moreover, if i defended myself i must tell the whole miserable story of my bargain with peter trevisa, and then drag in the name of the maid who became constantly dearer to me. thus when hugh boscawen asked[pg 241] me if i had aught to say, i was for a few moments stupidly silent.
"look you," said sir john grenville, "you can at least answer plain questions. did you, on going to endellion, tell master colman killigrew that you were a papist, and that hearing he was in the favour of the pretender's return, you desired to offer him your service? yes, or no?"
"that is true, sir john," i blurted out; "but i only used this as a means whereby i might be able to enter the house."
"but why did you wish to enter the house?"
again i was silent, for in truth i could not make up my mind to tell the whole truth. i knew that otho killigrew longed to know my real reason for coming to endellion; longed to know what interest i had in the maid, nancy molesworth, and was doubtless using every means in his power to try and find out where i had taken her. i was sure, moreover, that did i once begin to tell my story, i should probably let words fall that might give him a knowledge of her whereabouts, and then she would be quickly in his power again. but besides all this, i had given my promise to peter trevisa, before undertaking the mission of which i had become so heartily ashamed, that i would tell no man concerning it. at the time i had made the promise i had seen no danger, and had any one told me two days before that any of the killigrews of endellion would dare to charge me with treason against the king, i would have laughed at him. yet such was the[pg 242] case, and innocent as i was of all traitorous purposes, i could see no loophole for my escape.
"you are silent in relation to sir john's query," said hugh boscawen, who did not seem to relish any one asking questions but himself. "let me ask you one in master otho killigrew's presence: did you or did you not promise to try and get recruits to try and fight against the king?"
"what i said had no meaning in it," i replied. "the king hath no truer or more loyal subject than roger trevanion."
"if you are a true and loyal subject, you will be glad to give information whereby all traitors can be brought to book," replied boscawen. "i mentioned just now the name of one who, when you were with him, was known as a traveling droll, by the name of uncle anthony. as i told you, he is the most dangerous man in the county. will you tell us what you know of him?"
"i know uncle anthony as a welcome guest of colman killigrew," i replied. "when first i went to endellion i was attacked by otho killigrew's brother, and they would perchance have done me harm but for the interference of the old man to whom you refer. as soon as they saw that he was my companion they received me kindly. when i entered the house i perceived that he was treated with great respect—almost as an honoured guest."
"i may say," replied otho calmly, "that this is true. my father had doubts concerning him, but would do nothing against him until he was absolutely sure of his guilt. knowing of the reports[pg 243] circulated about our family he came to our house and was received kindly, as we try to receive all visitors. it was during his last visit that my father's suspicions concerning him were confirmed."
"then," cried i, "why did you not arrest him?"
"i may also say," went on otho, without seeming to notice me, "that by some secret means unknown to us, he left on the same night he arrived with roger trevanion. but even had he stayed he would have been safe."
"why?" asked sir john grenville.
"because," replied otho, "he entered our house as a guest,—as a humble one, it is true, but still as a guest, and therefore we could take no steps against him. when gone, however, and we had been able to verify our doubts concerning him, i deemed it right to mention the fact of his visit to my lord falmouth."
"but he hath long been known to me as a dangerous man," cried hugh boscawen.
"we live far away from centers of information at endellion," replied otho humbly.
"and you say that roger trevanion knows where this man can be found?"
"i know that he has been the companion of the man," replied otho, "and that he can probably tell where he now resides."
"i do not know," i replied, thinking that he might have removed from the lonely chapel.
"when saw you him last, and where?" asked hugh boscawen.
[pg 244]
again i hesitated. ought i to tell of the old man's whereabouts? i could not see into the depths of otho killigrew's mind, but i felt assured that he had some purpose in bringing in uncle anthony's name. did he desire to punish him for assisting mistress nancy molesworth's escape? did he think i might be led to speak of him and thus tell of my purpose in coming to endellion. i was sure that this puzzled him sorely. was it to find out this that he had braved the danger of visiting tregothnan, the home of the man whose joy it was to find out treason and punish it? i knew next to nothing of the old story-teller. he might or might not be a political meddler. i was sure, however, that he was shrewd beyond common, and would have friends unknown to me. he had many hiding-places too, and in spite of his wound it was not likely that he would stay at the hermit's chapel.
then another thought struck me. if it was the purpose of hugh boscawen to arrest uncle anthony, the old man would surely be aware of it, and any information i might be able to give would effect but little. on the other hand, if he were told that otho killigrew had laid information concerning him, the keen old recluse would not hesitate to make out a bad case against the killigrews, and, in spite of the part they were playing, would pull their mask aside, and show the viscount their real sentiments. i therefore determined to speak freely.
"when i last saw uncle anthony," i replied, "he was lying in a lonely chapel in the parish of[pg 245] st. mawgan. he had been wounded by otho killigrew for seeking to defeat his evil purposes."
"what evil purposes?"
"i will let the old droll answer that, when you have taken him," i replied; "but it had naught to do with treason against the king."
"had it to do with the purpose for which you say you went to endellion?" asked sir john grenville.
"it had, sir john."
"then let me tell you this," said the baronet, "it will be well for you if you will tell us the reason for which you took this journey and the event which led to this charge being made against you."
at that moment i turned and caught the eye of otho killigrew; and from the eagerness with which he looked at me, i knew that he longed for me to answer sir john's question. was there something lurking behind of which i had no knowledge? had peter trevisa and his son told me everything when he asked me to bring the maid, nancy molesworth, to them? had otho killigrew come to the conclusion that i might help him to find out some valuable secrets? during the time he had been accusing me of treason, he had never once hinted at the truth. did he know where mistress nancy was? and more than this, might not one of his reasons for placing himself in danger in order to cause my arrest be that he feared me? i remembered now that i knew nothing of the maid nancy's life[pg 246] prior to her coming to endellion, and i reproached myself for not asking her.
all this flashed through my mind in a second, and determined me more than ever to let drop no hint as to the truth. possibly i should be doing the maid i loved incalculable injury by so doing, for i knew that otho killigrew was merciless.
"there be certain things, sir john, which a gentleman may not tell," i replied. "you will know as well as i that the trevanions have more than once suffered rather than endanger the fair fame of a lady. i can only give you my word of honour that i never dreamed of treason, and that if it become necessary i am willing to take up arms for the king."
"methinks he tries to make me out a liar," replied otho killigrew, speaking more quickly than was his wont; "i will be willing to withdraw my charges if he will make it clear that what he has just said is true. we be all gentlemen here, and not one of us would let the fair name of a lady suffer."
by speaking thus he confirmed my suspicions, and i still held my peace. possibly hugh boscawen and sir john grenville, in their over-zeal for the king, their minds poisoned by the cunning of otho killigrew, might commit me for public trial, but i did not fear that. i feared rather that by speaking i should give killigrew a power which he did not now possess, even though my knowledge was meager in extreme.
after this i was asked many more questions, some of them concerning uncle anthony, and[pg 247] others about matters which seemed to me trivial beyond measure; but i was not able to assure my judges of my innocence, and i was at length condemned to be imprisoned at launceston castle until such time as i could be publicly tried.
now this was sore grief to me, for i should thus leave the maid nancy in the hands of peter trevisa and his son, or, what would be worse, at the mercy of otho killigrew. it is true there seemed but little danger that peter trevisa would play into otho's hands, but i had many doubts.
"my lord," i said, as soon as i was able to collect my thoughts "as you know, i have been away from trevanion for many days. may i pray your clemency in so far that i may be allowed to return for a few hours in order to consult my attorney and make other simple arrangements concerning my servants?"
"this shall be granted," replied hugh boscawen. "it would ill beseem that one of your name should be treated with lack of due courtesy. you shall, therefore, ride to your house as a free man might; you shall also be allowed to see your attorney. furthermore, there is no need that for the present the knowledge of the charges laid against you should become public."
at this i knew not what to think, for i felt myself as it were in a network of difficulties, and knew not whether hugh boscawen desired to be my friend or enemy. all the same i determined to make the most of my opportunities. i immediately sent a message to lawyer hendy, therefore, asking him to meet me at trevanion, and[pg 248] tried to think of means whereby i could tell mistress nancy of the fate which had befallen me, or, better still, to see her. nothing, however, occurred to me on my journey home; indeed i was kept busy talking with my guardsmen, who, although they treated me respectfully, watched me closely. once i thought of attempting flight, but i reflected that such a course would be unwise, even if it were possible. besides, being unarmed, i was very nearly helpless in such a matter.
i had not long returned to trevanion when lawyer hendy came. he listened very attentively to my recital of my experiences, but made no comment thereon. instead he sat quibbling the end of his riding-whip, like one in deep thought.
"what is the meaning of this?" i asked presently.
"i cannot tell—yet."
"you think otho killigrew has some deep-laid purpose?"
"possibly. possibly he is only inspired by a spirit of revenge. but enough of that for the present. what do you wish done while you are away at—that is, from home?"
"before i deal with that," i cried, "i wish to know what happened at treviscoe last night?"
"last night? nothing."
"nothing?"
"no."
"but mistress nancy wished to speak with you, and you stayed with her. what had she to say?"
[pg 249]
"it is not for me to tell you."
i ground my teeth with impatience. "then she told you nothing of her history or purposes?" i asked.
"i did not say so," replied the attorney grimly.
"but she did not know of the danger in which i stood?"
"yes."
"what!"
"do not misunderstand. she knew that you were in danger, because she knew otho killigrew; but she knew nothing, suspected nothing of the course events would take."
"i should like her to know what has happened to me," i said, "otherwise she will think i am unwilling to render her further service. would you take a letter to her? i am allowed to write letters."
"i would if i could, but i cannot."
"cannot, why?"
"because i do not know where she is."
"what do you mean, hendy?" i cried. "you left her last night at treviscoe!"
"i mean, master roger trevanion," said the attorney slowly, but speaking every word plainly, "that i do not know where the lady mistress nancy molesworth is."
"then get to know through peter trevisa."
"he doth not know!"
"how?" i cried, now truly amazed.
"because she is gone, and peter trevisa is as ignorant of her whereabouts as you are."
"then she is in otho killigrew's hands."
[pg 250]
"i do not think so."
"your reason for that?" i cried.
"because there are no evidences of it. she left treviscoe last night, not many hours after i left, at least such is peter trevisa's opinion. he sent for me early this morning, and on my arrival i found him like one demented. the maid had crept out of the house with her servant, and had themselves saddled the horses and rode them away."
"and left no traces behind?"
"not a trace."
"but did she hold any conversation with peter trevisa after you had left?"
the lawyer gave a start. "i had not thought of that," he said hastily.
"look you, hendy," i cried, for the time forgetting that in an hour or so i should be on my way to launceston jail, "i have puzzled my brains sorely concerning this. do you know the history of the business?"
"i think so; yes. trevisa has been obliged to tell me."
"has he told you why he wished the maid brought to treviscoe?"
"no—that is, beyond what he told you."
"you mean that young peter had fallen in love with her?"
"that is it."
"but that cannot be all; he would never wish her brought to treviscoe unless he had some powerful reason to urge to the maid for the course he had taken."
[pg 251]
"i think you are right."
"have you any idea what the reason is?"
"no."
"do you think he tried its effects last night?"
mr. hendy was silent.
"it might have miscarried, you know," i continued eagerly; but the old attorney spoke no word, instead he walked to and fro the room as though cogitating deeply.
an hour later i was on horseback again, and proceeded under the charge of four men towards launceston, a town situated on the extreme borders of the county, where at that time one of the county jails was situated.
