"Of course—of course. I'll not insult you by planning details. The thing is obvious."
"Only one man knows where we be hidden, an' that's Leaman Cloberry. He'll help 'e. He hates Malherb, 'cause he dusted rat-catcher's mangy jacket for him long ago. 'Tis Cloberry keeps us in food; an' a cruel lot of money he makes us pay for it."
They conversed for the space of another hour; then Norcot directed the old woman to return to him in three weeks from that night, and let her out of the window.
"An' you'll give me a clear hundred over what you change for me, an' buy my trinkets?" she said.
"All that."
"An' help me to take ship at Dartmouth an' get out o' the country?"
"It is agreed."
Lovey vanished and Peter watched her. The Malherb amphora was for that moment uppermost in his mind, but he had not mentioned it for fear of alarming her. His plot was adumbrated and the details began to grow. He meant to marry Grace after abducting her from her home; and he designed subsequently to propitiate Malherb with the amphora.
"'Twill be a little surprise for our old lady to lose it after all," he thought.
Peter appeared at seven o'clock to take breakfast, as usual, and, as Gertrude poured out coffee, he surprised his sister with an item of intelligence.