The Sea-chest

           Ilostnotime,ofcourse,intellingmymotherallthatIknew,andperhapsshouldhavetoldherlongbefore,andwesawourselvesatonceinadifficultanddangerousposition.Someoftheman’smoney—ifhehadany—wascertainlyduetous,butitwasnotlikelythatourcaptain’sshipmates,aboveallthetwospecimensseenbyme,BlackDogandtheblindbeggar,wouldbeinclinedtogiveuptheirbootyinpaymentofthedeadman’sdebts.Thecaptain’sordertomountatonceandrideforDoctorLiveseywouldhaveleftmymotheraloneandunprotected,whichwasnottobethoughtof.Indeed,itseemedimpossibleforeitherofustoremainmuchlongerinthehouse;thefallofcoalsinthekitchengrate,theverytickingoftheclock,filleduswithalarms.Theneighbourhood,toourears,seemedhauntedbyapproachingfootsteps;andwhatbetweenthedeadbodyofthecaptainontheparlourfloorandthethoughtofthatdetestableblindbeggarhoveringnearathandandreadytoreturn,thereweremomentswhen,asthesayinggoes,Ijumpedinmyskinforterror.Somethingmustspeedilyberesolvedupon,anditoccurredtousatlasttogoforthtogetherandseekhelpintheneighbouringhamlet.Nosoonersaidthandone.Bare-headedaswewere,weranoutatonceinthegatheringeveningandthefrostyfog.

           Thehamletlaynotmanyhundredyardsaway,thoughoutofview,ontheothersideofthenextcove;andwhatgreatlyencouragedme,itwasinanoppositedirectionfromthatwhencetheblindmanhadmadehisappearanceandwhitherhehadpresumablyreturned.Wewerenotmanyminutesontheroad,thoughwesometimesstoppedtolayholdofeachotherandhearken.Buttherewasnounusualsound—nothingbutthelowwashoftherippleandthecroakingoftheinmatesofthewood.

           Itwasalreadycandle-lightwhenwereachedthehamlet,andIshallneverforgethowmuchIwascheeredtoseetheyellowshineindoorsandwindows;butthat,asitproved,wasthebestofthehelpwewerelikelytogetinthatquarter.