JOSIAH'S ASTONISHMENT AT THE EFFECT PRODUCED BY THE DISPLAY OF HIS
TREASURE-TROVE.
Josiah Trenow had been in constant attendance on Frederick Morley, ever
since the accident. It may appear strange that a young man so strong and
brave as Morley, and who had seen so much service abroad, and been
engaged in the most dangerous sports that can possibly be pursued,
should have been so entirely prostrated by this accident; but so it was.
It was Josiah's strong arm that had lifted him up from his perilous
position on the cliffs; and, for many days, he did not feel safe unless
that strong arm was near, to be thrown round him when the terrible
thought of his perilous situation seized him; and Josiah was beginning
to like his young master--for such he seemed now to have become, without
any formal agreement having been entered into between them.
While his young master was at Penzance attending the ball, Josiah went
to the mine where he had been working, to put things straight, and to
see the captain, and get another man put in his place; for Morley had
asked him to remain with him until he was obliged to join his regiment
again--which would not be for some time, as he had obtained an extension
of leave, in consequence of the accident, and the strong certificate
sent to head-quarters from the surgeon who attended him. He had remained
at "The First and Last Inn," at Sennen, ever since,--partly to be near
his friend Fowler, and partly because he fancied the removal to another
place might cause a return of those dreadful feelings of nervous terror
which he had now in a measure overcome.
On the morning after his return from Penzance, Josiah came into his
master's room, after breakfast, carrying a small box under his arm,
which appeared to be very heavy, and, placing it on the table, he said,
"I've got something here, sar, that I do want you to see. I picked 'n up
in the sand after the wreck, an' I oppened om, an' wor frightened sure
'nuff."
"Frightened at opening a small box!" said Morley, smiling; "I thought
your nerves were stronger, Josiah."
"You shall see for yourself," returned Josiah. And he proceeded to take
out the screws with which the box was fastened, when, to Morley's utter
astonishment, he saw that the box was filled to the brim with Indian
gold coins, and, in one corner of the box, closely packed down, there
was a piece of thick white writing-paper, neatly folded up.
"There, sar," said Josiah; "es et any wonder that I shud be frightened?"
"No, indeed!" said his master, taking up a few of the coins, and
examining them; "there must be many thousands of pounds in this little
box. Why, you're a lucky man, Josiah. And you consider these all your
own, of course, according to the doctrine of all Cornish wreckers?"
"No, I don't sar," replied Josiah; "but I caen't tell whose they are,--I
wish I cud. I b'lieve that paper wud tell, ef so be that I cud read 'n;
but I caen't read writen', f'rall I can read prent, ef they're brave an'
big letters. I carr'd that paper up to Maister Freeman, but I dedn't
car' up the box,--no fie! Ef you had seed his face when he looked 'pon
the paper fust, you'd never forgit 'n no more. 'Twor whisht sure 'nuf."
"Well, what did he say?" asked Morley, who felt more interested in
hearing something about the conjuror, who had so nearly caused his
death, than curiosity as to the contents of the paper.
"Say?" exclaimed Josiah; "why, nothen' for a bra' bit. He read 'n down
twice, quite study, like, an' then aw looked up 'pon me, like one
startled, an' folded up the paper. An' then he said, 'Josiah,' says he
to me, 'I can't make this out 'less I do see the box that 'twor in;
bring et to me at once,' says he. ''Tes an unlucky thing for you to keep
in your house,' says he; 'your pigs will die, and, maybe, you'll all be
laid down, and rise no more,' says he. 'Bring the box, and all the
contents, within one hour,' says he, 'or else you are all doomed,' says
he. An' weth that he wor goen' for to put the paper in his pocket; but I
catched 'n by the arm, and made 'n screech ten thousand murders, an'
drop the paper, an' I very soon picked 'n up agen. An' then he tore to
me, an' tried for to catch the paper agen; but I wor too quick for 'n,
an' I tripped 'n up weth my toe, an' left 'n lyin' 'pon the planchen';
and then I trapesed away down ste-ars. I reckon the maid Alice Ann wor
frightened too; for I b'lieve in my conscience she wor harken' outside
the door,--for I nearly knacked har down, poor soul, but I cudn't stop
to see."
"Let me see the paper," said Morley, who was now as anxious to see it,
as he had been indifferent before.
So Josiah took it out, and unfolded it very carefully; and if he had
been astonished to see the strange appearance of Mr. Freeman's
countenance when he perused that paper, he was perfectly astounded now,
to see the effect the perusal of it was producing on Mr. Morley; and he
began to think that the box and all it contained were bewitched, as Mr.
Freeman had said, and he entertained serious thoughts of carrying it
down to the cliffs and throwing it over. At length, Mr. Morley, having
finished the perusal of the paper for the third time, leaned his elbows
on the table, supporting his head with his hands, in which he still
clutched the paper, and sobbed aloud; for his nerves were still too weak
to bear up against any sudden shock without giving vent to his feelings.
Josiah stood looking at his master and the box alternately, having a
confused idea of a shipwreck and a man and horse falling over cliff,
with a box of gold tied to them as a weight to pull them down. At last
Mr. Morley recovered sufficiently to see that Josiah was looking
bewildered; so he thought it right to read the paper to him, which did
not, however, enlighten him very much till further explanation was
given.
The mysterious paper contained these words:--
"_I, Alexander Morley, on my dying bed, enjoin my two sons, William
and Frederick Morley, to make the strictest search for those two
wretches, who committed the murder, of which I was accused, and to
use all possible means to bring them to justice, or to induce them
to confess their crime, that my bones may rest in peace. The
contents of this box to be used in the prosecution thereof._
"_Alexander Morley._"
"Well," said Josiah, "I ar'n't much furder footh, I think." And he
looked at his master with a vacant stare. Mr. Morley, therefore, thought
it best to entrust this faithful and honest man with the whole
circumstances relative to the murder, which made him stare more than
ever; but it was not a vacant stare now.
"You must let me take this paper, Josiah," said Mr. Morley; "and perhaps
I had better take care of the box also, for the present."
"By all mains, sar," said Josiah; "for, putting this and that together,
'tes surely your father's box, and sent here for a wise purpose."
"This accident has brought many sad reflections into my mind, Josiah,"
replied Mr. Morley. "I cannot now have any doubt of the fate of my poor
brother. He was, no doubt, bringing this valued box home, that we might
proceed together in the search. He is gone; but Providence has thrown
this box in my way, as a powerful incentive to use my utmost exertions,
single-handed, to perform the task allotted to my brother and myself by
our poor father."
"You sha-ant go by yourself, sar," said Josiah; "I'll help 'ee as far as
I can, ef you'll lev me to."
"You shall," replied his master. "I am indebted to you for my life, and
for the discovery of this box, so that our destinies seem blended
together, in an unaccountable manner. You shall not go unrewarded, I
assure you. We will use this money, as it is ordered, in searching for
the guilty parties."
"Zackly like that," returned Josiah; "an' ef I wor you I wud ax Maister
Freeman. Whether et wor his conjuring knawledge, or what, I caen't tell;
but semmen' to me I thoft he knawed somethen'."
"No, no," replied Morley; "it was the wish to get the gold into his
possession that made him look so odd. He is avaricious, and he thought
to frighten you into the foolish act of bringing the box to him, when he
would either have kept it altogether, or have taken a large toll out of
it."
"Well, sar," said Josiah, "I'll allow you for to knaw best; but ef I wor
you, I'd see Maister Freeman;--he might look to his books an' tell 'ee
somethen' more than you do knaw now."
This seemed very good advice; for, even if Mr. Freeman knew nothing,
Frederick thought he should at least see the conjuror in his "sanctum,"
as he was going to him on business, and he might have a chance of seeing
Alrina, whom he had not met for several days; for she did not keep her
last appointment with him two days before the ball, and he feared she
might be ill, or might have been prevented by some lynx-eyed Duenna, as
she had been before, when he blamed her without cause. So, for all these
reasons, Frederick determined he would visit the lion in his den, and
make him divulge all he knew respecting the contents of that paper, if
indeed he knew anything--which, however, the unhappy young man very much
doubted.