"He seems to have lost his senses," whispered Adam to Jacob.
Such, indeed, was evidently the case. Several times he tried to sit up, but he had received some severe injuries, and each movement made him shriek with pain.
What now to do was the question. Adam was unwilling to leave him alone with the poor mad woman, yet he was naturally anxious to return home.
The sound of the wind, which howled and whistled up the glen, warned him that he could scarcely hope to continue his voyage.
Telling old Sal that they would speedily return, Adam and Jacob went down to the beach, and made safe their boat and fish. Then they sent the boy quickly to Hurlston, with instructions to tell the dame that they hoped to be home in the morning. The lad being warned to keep away from the edge of the cliff, set off without fear. Adam and Jacob, carrying up a few fish and some bread, returned to the hut.
As they entered they heard Gaffin"s voice raving incoherently. Mad Sal stood like a statue, the light of the fire falling on her pale features, gazing at him with a look of mingled astonishment and dread. They stopped to listen to what Gaffin was saying.
"Who are you?" she exclaimed at last, gasping for breath, and advancing towards the unhappy man.
"Who has a right to ask me that?" he shrieked out. "Martin Goul I was once called. They tell me I broke my father"s heart, that my mother threw herself from the cliffs, and that the only being I ever loved was laid in the cold grave. So I went forth to do battle with the hard world, to live in hopes of revenging myself on those who had scorned and wronged me. Each time, though I missed my aim, I thought the day of vengeance would come at last, but again and again have I been mocked by the cunning devil who deceived me."
"Martin Goul! who speaks of him," exclaimed the old woman, moving a step nearer the man.
"Let me be at peace, old hag; why torment me with questions?" shrieked out Gaffin.
"Young Martin Goul has long been fathoms deep beneath the ocean wave; and you tell me that you bear that name," said Mad Sal, in a hollow frightened voice.
"No one else would dare to claim it," cried Gaffin. "When my son marries the heiress of Texford, I will shout it out to all the world.
She will be his bride before many hours are over, and then those who have scorned me will have to ask favours at my hand. They did not know that I possessed the secret of her birth, that it still lies locked up in the chest guarded safely in the vault beneath the mill, and that it will be beyond their reach before to-morrow. Ah! ah! ah!" and he broke out into a cry of maniac laughter.
The old woman pa.s.sed her hand across her brow, and took another stride which brought her close to where Gaffin lay.
"Answer me, I adjure you; again I ask you, are you the Martin Goul who years gone by was pressed and carried off to sea?"
"Yes, I am that Martin Goul, the pirate, smuggler, spy, murderer," he shrieked, out raising himself. "There are no deeds I have not dared to do. I, by forged letters, kept Ra.n.a.ld Castleton from his home, and willingly would I have allowed his innocent child to perish. Now I have answered you, what more would you learn from me? Ah! ah! ah!" he shouted out, as if impelled by an uncontrollable impulse to utter the very things he would have desired to keep secret.
"It"s false, it"s false," cried the unhappy woman. "My son was wild and extravagant, but he could not have been guilty of the crimes you name.
I was the mother of young Martin Goul; he was the only being on earth I loved. Oh the salt, salt sea."
"You my mother, you," shrieked out the wretched man, and he again burst forth into a fit of hideous laughter, which froze the hearts of Adam and his son. "Begone, old hag, begone, begone," he shouted, and endeavoured to raise himself up, but his strength, from some internal injury, was fast giving way. The effort produced a paroxysm of pain. He shrieked out, and sinking back on the bed no longer moved.
The old woman gazed at him like one transfixed. Suddenly the fire sent up a bright flame, which fell on his face.
"Yes, yes," cried the unhappy creature, "I know you now, you are my son, my boy Martin." But the person she addressed no longer heard her. His spirit had fled to stand before the Judge of all men. She waited as if expecting him to reply, then suddenly she became aware of what had happened, and lifting up her hands fell forward over his body.
Adam and Jacob sprang to a.s.sist her, for they feared from the force with which she fell that she must have injured herself. She neither moved nor groaned. They endeavoured to lift her up.
"Poor creature, she is dead!" said Adam. She had survived but a few moments her unhappy son.
Adam and Jacob placed her body by his side, and closed the eyes of both.
As they could no longer be of a.s.sistance they would gladly have set off for their home at once, but the night had become very dark, the storm raged furiously, and as they had their fish to carry, they would have found it difficult to make their way over the downs. They therefore agreed to wait till daylight.
Adam had noted what the dying man said with regard to the chest and the little girl.
"Could he have been speaking of our Maiden May, and how came he to call her the heiress of Texford?"
"He did call her so, there is no doubt about that," observed Jacob. "He cannot tell us now, though, what he meant."
"But the chest may. I was always sure that Gaffin had visited the wreck, and carried off something of value, but little did I think all the time that he knew who our Maiden May was," said Adam.
"If we can get the chest we shall soon know all about that father; and it will be the thing of all others that Lieutenant Castleton will like to know, and I shall be glad to help him find it out."
As neither Adam nor Jacob felt disposed to go to sleep after the scene they had witnessed, they sat up discussing the subject till dawn. The wind having shifted, and the sea gone down, they launched their boat and sailed before the wind for Hurlston. As they pa.s.sed close under the mill they saw a vessel cast on the beach, which they recognised as Gaffin"s lugger. They afterwards discovered that having been left with only two or three hands on board she had been driven on sh.o.r.e, and, like the _Nancy_, having seen her best days, had been quickly knocked to pieces by the heavy sea which had for a short time broken on the coast.
Young Jack had arrived safely, and delivered the message Adam had sent the dame, so that she had not been anxious about them. But she had a terrible account to give of the events which, according to report, had taken place at Texford and Downside, and which had caused her the greatest alarm, and she was only waiting their arrival to set off to ascertain the truth.
Adam agreed to accompany her, as he wished to give Lieutenant Castleton the information he had obtained, and thought it probable that he might be at Downside. He had besides to give notice of the deaths of Martin Goul and his mother.
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE.
ON THE DEFENCE.
Harry and the dragoons after Gaffin"s escape galloped rapidly to Downside. He would soon have distanced them had he not feared that they might lose their way. He kept urging them to spur on with greater speed. The gate was opened, and as they approached the house a thundering sound was heard, and he caught sight of several men endeavouring to burst in the front door. The noise they were making prevented them from hearing the approach of the horses. One of them turning, however, caught sight of the dragoons, when, he shouting to his companions, they let the log fall and rushed down the steps, two or three of them as they did so firing the pieces they carried. The soldiers fired in return, when two or more of the gang were wounded.
Their companions, however, dragged them off, and scrambling over the hedges, they made their escape before the dragoons could overtake them.
Harry announced his arrival.
"Stay, it may only be a trick," he heard Miss Jane observe.
"Oh, I am sure it is Harry. I know his voice. I am not afraid of opening the door," exclaimed May.
The bars and bolts were quickly withdrawn, and the next instant Harry pressed May to his heart. He quickly narrated all that had happened, and Miss Jane and Miss Mary were very grateful for his coming so opportunely to their rescue.
"And I, too, am glad to greet you, Mr Castleton," said Mr Shallard, stepping forward. "It is far more satisfactory than having had to act as your executor; indeed, this young lady most obstinately, as I thought, refused to allow me to do so."
Much more to the same effect was said, when the lawyer remarked that he must go and look after the dragoons.
"You maybe surprised at our calmness," he observed, "but the truth is, I expected every moment the arrival of a party of the sea-fencibles, and fully believed that they would come in time to stop the ruffians in their attempt to break into the house, and to capture the whole of them into the bargain. Till they appear, it may be prudent to retain the dragoons."
Harry willingly allowed Mr Shallard to do as he proposed.
Shortly afterwards a party of the fencibles arrived, who by some mistake had been sent to the mill instead of coming first, as was intended, to Downside. The dragoons were then sent down to the Texford Arms.
Though Harry felt that he ought to return home, he could not leave the cottage while there was a possibility of the smugglers rallying. He was not sorry at having a good excuse for remaining.
Miss Jane, on hospitable thoughts intent, was much troubled at being unable to offer beds to her guests, but they both a.s.sured her that they should prefer sitting up, that they might be ready for any emergency.
Susan having recovered from her alarm, set to work to get supper ready, and, in the meantime, Miss Jane declaring that she and her sister had business to settle with Mr Shallard, left May and Harry in the drawing-room.
Those were joyous moments to the young lovers. The clouds had not entirely cleared away, but they both saw, they believed, the dawn of a brighter day.
Harry and Mr Shallard sat up as they had proposed, though the lawyer very soon fell asleep, with outstretched legs, long before the young sailor closed his eyes.
Nothing occurred during the night to disturb the household.