Mother Sweetbread had clearly gone a-journeying. I
tell you, it is the treasure of one who wasmortal man, and is now a lost soul. In
this very house, where he is now at the point of death. He has a horror of darkness
on him, and that is whythese lights burn.
Let the daylight get out of theearth and the night
currents begin to move.
You would fly at my throat, but I pray you
consider. This horse of mine, mother, you will send intothe forest till I can
recover him.
Tobias wrinkled his nose, as if he doubted the
truth of the adage.
Withthis in his hand Peter descended the
steps.
He skirted the village and cameto the tiny hamlet
of Gosford, hard upon a ford of Cherwell. He diedthree minutes and twenty seconds
after you left him.
Even as he stared the figure twitched a cloak from
its shouldersand tossed it towards him. Put yourself in theway of the Swinbrook men
and let them drag from you news of me. But deep down in his heart he knew that he
had other thoughts.
But he will notsurrender it to any chance
comer.
Now he had seen thefairest of all, her eyes dewy
with kindness, her lips tremulouswith surrender.
He is a ready man with his blade, he said, as some
of us knowto our cost. Iam better known in Oxford town than the reputed heir of my
LordAvelard out of the west country.
He could look now at thething in the
gloom.
They have sought treasure for you, and maybethey
have found it. The wind had dropped, a few stars showed,and on the horizon there was
the prelude of moonrise. There be no one lodging here, master, she said.