hands, was the aim and object of that hurried journey taken on the
evening of the Queen's decease. None were in the secret save three
old servants, whose faithful loyalty to the family had been tested
in a thousand different ways. Those three, together with my
grandfather and your father, packed and transported with their own
hands this great treasure into the wood, and there entombed it.
None else knew of that night's work. No other eye saw what was
done. They worked the whole night through, and by the tardy dawn
all was done, and even the soil of the forest so cleverly arranged
that none could guess at the existence of that deep grave. And who
would guess the secret of that tangled forest? Even were it thought
that the gold and silver had been hid, who would have such skill as
to guess the spot, and go and filch it thence? And yet it must have
been carried away full soon. For Nicholas Trevlyn, in his anxious
greed, visited the spot not many weeks later--visited it by
stealth, for he and his brother were alike in hiding, waiting for
the first burst of vengeful fury to be over--and he found it gone!
He thought on the first survey that all was well; but on more
closely examining the ground his heart misgave him, for it appeared
to him as if the soil had been moved. With anxious haste he began
to dig, and soon his spade struck the lid of one of the chests. For
a moment he breathed again; but he was impelled to carry his search
farther. He uncovered the chest and raised the lid--it was empty!
In a wild fear and fury he dug again and again, and with the same
result. Every chest or box was in its place, but every one was
empty! The treasure had been spirited away by some spoiler's hand;
the treasure of Trevlyn was lost from that night forward!"

Cuthbert was leaning forward drinking all in with eager curiosity.