第 15 页

_Eliza_, within four weeks, there is no reason why you should not

take passage back. The trial will be over by that time, and as the

members of the gang have done their part in preventing you from

appearing, I see not why they should have further grudge against

you."

"I cannot thank you too much for your kindness, captain. I trust that

when I get back you will call at Captain Dowsett's store in Tower

Street, so that I may see you and again thank you; I know that the

Captain himself will welcome you heartily when I tell him how kindly

you have treated me. He will be almost as glad as I shall myself to

see you. I suppose you could not take him a message or letter from me

now?"

"I think not, lad. It would never do for him to be able to say at the

trial that he had learnt you had been kidnapped. They might write

over here to the Dutch authorities about you. There is one thing

further. From what I heard when I landed yesterday, it seems that

there is likely to be war between Holland and England."

"I heard a talk of it in London," Cyril said, "but I do not rightly

understand the cause, nor did I inquire much about the matter."

"It is something about the colonies, and our taxing their goods, but

I don't rightly understand the quarrel, except that the Dutch think,

now that Blake is gone and our ships for the most part laid up, they

may be able to take their revenge for the lickings we have given

them. Should there be war, as you say you speak French as well as

English, I should think you had best make your way to Dunkirk as a

young Frenchman, and from there you would find no difficulty in

crossing to England."

"I know Dunkirk well, captain, having indeed lived there all my life.

I should have no difficulty in travelling through Holland as a French

boy."

"If there is a war," the captain said, "I shall, of course, come here

no more; but it may be that you will see me at Dunkirk. French brandy

sells as well as Dutch Schiedam, and if I cannot get the one I may

perhaps get the other; and there is less danger in coming to Dunkirk

and making across to Harwich than there is in landing from Calais or

Nantes on the south coast, where the revenue men are much more on the

alert than they are at Harwich."

"Are you not afraid of getting your boat captured? You said it was

your own."

"Not much, lad. I bring over a regular cargo, and the kegs are stowed

away under the floor of the cabin, and I run them at Pin-mill--that

is the place we anchored the night before we got to Ipswich. I have

been overhauled a good many times, but the cargo always looks right,

and after searching it for a bit, they conclude it is all regular.

You see, I don't bring over a great quantity--fifteen or twenty kegs

is as much as I can stow away--and it is a long way safer being

content with a small profit than trying to make a big one."

Cyril parted with regret from the captain, whose departure had been

hastened by a report that war might be declared at any moment, in

which case the _Eliza_ might have been detained for a considerable

time. He had, therefore, been working almost night and day to get in

his cargo, and Cyril had remained on board until the last moment. He

had seen the diamond dealer but once, and hoped that he should not

meet him often, for he felt certain that awkward questions would be

asked him. This man was in the habit of having dealings with Marner,

and had doubtless understood from the captain that he was in some way

connected with his gang; and were he to find out the truth he would

view him with the reverse of a friendly eye. He had told him that he

was to take his meals with his clerk, and Cyril hoped, therefore,

that he should seldom see him.

He wandered about the wharf until it became dark. Then he went in and

took supper with the clerk. As the latter spoke Dutch only, there was

no possibility of conversation. Cyril was thinking of going up to his

bed when there was a ring at the bell. The clerk went to answer it,

leaving the door open as he went out, and Cyril heard a voice ask, in

English, if Herr Schweindorf was in. The clerk said something in

Dutch.

"The fool does not understand English, Robert," the man said.

"Tell him," he said, in a louder voice, to the clerk, "that two

persons from England--England, you understand--who have only just

arrived, want to see him on particular business. There, don't be

blocking up the door; just go and tell your master what I told you."

He pushed his way into the passage, and the clerk, seeing that there

was nothing else to do, went upstairs.

A minute later he came down again, and made a sign for them to follow

him. As they went up Cyril stole out and looked after them. The fact

that they had come from England, and that one of them was named

Robert, and that they had business with this man, who was in

connection with Marner, had excited his suspicions, but he felt a

shiver of fear run through him as he recognised the figures of Robert

Ashford and the man who was called Black Dick. He remembered the

expression of hatred with which they had regarded him in the Court,

and felt that his danger would be great indeed did they hear that he

was in Rotterdam. A moment's thought convinced him that they would

almost certainly learn this at once from his host. The letter would

naturally mention that the captain had left a lad in his charge who

was, as he believed, connected with them. They would denounce him as

an enemy instead of a friend. The diamond merchant would expel him

from his house, terrified at the thought that he possessed

information as to his dealings with this band in England; and once

beyond the door he would, in this strange town, be at the mercy of

his enemies. Cyril's first impulse was to run back into the room,

seize his cap, and fly. He waited, however, until the clerk came down

again; then he put his cap carelessly on his head.

"I am going for a walk," he said, waving his hand vaguely.

The man nodded, went with him to the door, and Cyril heard him put up

the bar after he had gone out. He walked quietly away, for there was

no fear of immediate pursuit.

Black Dick had probably brought over some more jewels to dispose of,

and that business would be transacted, before there would be any talk

of other matters. It might be a quarter of an hour before they heard

that he was an inmate of the house; then, when they went downstairs

with the dealer, they would hear that he had gone out for a walk and

would await his return, so that he had two or three hours at least

before there would be any search.

It was early yet. Some of the boats might be discharging by

torchlight. At any rate, he might hear of a ship starting in the

morning. He went down to the wharf. There was plenty of bustle here;

boats were landing fish, and larger craft were discharging or taking

in cargo; but his inability to speak Dutch prevented his asking

questions. He crossed to the other side of the road. The houses here

were principally stores or drinking taverns. In the window of one was

stuck up, "English and French Spoken Here." He went inside, walked up

to the bar, and called for a glass of beer in English.

"You speak English, landlord?" he asked, as the mug was placed before

him.

The latter nodded.

"I want to take passage either to England or to France," he said. "I

came out here but a few days ago, and I hear that there is going to

be trouble between the two countries. It will therefore be of no use

my going on to Amsterdam. I wish to get back again, for I am told

that if I delay I may be too late. I cannot speak Dutch, and

therefore cannot inquire if any boat will be sailing in the morning

for England or Dunkirk. I have acquaintances in Dunkirk, and speak

French, so it makes no difference to me whether I go there or to

England."

"My boy speaks French," the landlord said, "and if you like he can go

along the port with you. Of course, you will give him something for

his trouble?"

"Willingly," Cyril said, "and be much obliged to you into the

bargain."

The landlord left the bar and returned in a minute with a boy twelve

years old.

"He does not speak French very well," he said, "but I dare say it

will be enough for your purpose. I have told him that you want to

take ship to England, or that, if you cannot find one, to Dunkirk. If

that will not do, Ostend might suit you. They speak French there, and

there are boats always going between there and England."

"That would do; though I should prefer the other."

"There would be no difficulty at any other time in getting a boat for

England, but I don't know whether you will do so now. They have been

clearing off for some days, and I doubt if you will find an English

ship in port now, though of course there may be those who have been

delayed for their cargo."

Cyril went out with the boy, and after making many inquiries learnt

that there was but one English vessel still in port. However, Cyril

told his guide that he would prefer one for Dunkirk if they could

find one, for if war were declared before the boat sailed, she might

be detained. After some search they found a coasting scow that would

sail in the morning.

"They will touch at two or three places," the boy said to Cyril,

after a talk with the captain; "but if you are not in a hurry, he

will take you and land you at Dunkirk for a pound--that is, if he

finds food; if you find food he will take you for eight shillings. He

will start at daybreak."

"Tell him that I agree to his price. I don't want the trouble of

getting food. As he will be going so early, I will come on board at

once. I will get my bundle, and will be back in half an hour."

He went with the boy to one of the sailors' shops near, bought a

rough coat and a thick blanket, had them wrapped up into a parcel,

and then, after paying the boy, went on board.

As he expected, he found there were no beds or accommodation for

passengers, so he stretched himself on a locker in the cabin, covered

himself with his blanket, and put the coat under his head for a

pillow. His real reason for choosing this craft in preference to the

English ship was that he thought it probable that, when he did not

return to the house, it would at once be suspected that he had

recognised the visitors, and was not going to return at all. In that

case, they might suspect that he would try to take passage to

England, and would, the first thing in the morning, make a search for

him on board any English vessels that might be in the port.

It would be easy then for them to get him ashore, for the diamond

merchant might accuse him of theft, and so get him handed over to

him. Rather than run that risk, he would have started on foot had he

not been able to find a native craft sailing early in the morning.

Failing Dunkirk and Ostend, he would have taken a passage to any

other Dutch port, and run his chance of getting a ship from there.

The great point was to get away from Rotterdam.

The four men forming the crew of the scow returned late, and by their

loud talk Cyril, who kept his eyes closed, judged that they were in

liquor. In a short time they climbed up into their berths, and all

was quiet. At daybreak they were called up by the captain. Cyril lay

quiet until, by the rippling of the water against the side, he knew

that the craft was under way. He waited a few minutes, and then went

up on deck. The scow, clumsy as she looked, was running along fast

before a brisk wind, and in an hour Rotterdam lay far behind them.

The voyage was a pleasant one. They touched at Dordrecht, at

Steenbergen on the mainland, and Flushing, staying a few hours in

each place to take in or discharge cargo. After this, they made out

from the Islands, and ran along the coast, putting into Ostend and

Nieuport, and, four days after starting, entered the port of Dunkirk.

Cyril did not go ashore at any of the places at which they stopped.

It was possible that war might have been declared with England, and

as it might be noticed that he was a foreigner he would in that case

be questioned and arrested. As soon, therefore, as they neared a

quay, he went down to the cabin and slept until they got under way

again. The food was rough, but wholesome; it consisted entirely of

fish and black bread; but the sea air gave him a good appetite, and

he was in high spirits at the thought that he had escaped from danger

and was on his way back again. At Dunkirk he was under the French

flag, and half an hour after landing had engaged a passage to London

on a brig that was to sail on the following day. The voyage was a

stormy one, and he rejoiced in the possession of his great-coat,

which he had only bought in order that he might have a packet to

bring on board the scow, and so avoid exciting any suspicion or

question as to his being entirely unprovided with luggage.

It was three days before the brig dropped anchor in the Pool. As soon

as she did so, Cyril hailed a waterman, and spent almost his last

remaining coin in being taken to shore. He was glad that it was late

in the afternoon and so dark that his attire would not be noticed.

His clothes had suffered considerably from his capture and

confinement on board the _Eliza_, and his great-coat was of a rough

appearance that was very much out of character in the streets of

London. He had, however, but a short distance to traverse before he

reached the door of the house. He rang at the bell, and the door was

opened by John Wilkes.

"What is it?" the latter asked. "The shop is shut for the night, and

I ain't going to open for anyone. At half-past seven in the morning

you can get what you want, but not before."

"Don't you know me, John?" Cyril laughed. The old sailor stepped back

as if struck with a blow.