“Well,” said Sep, who, as usual, was ready to chime in with the views of his companion, “you mustn’t let him know what you’ve found then; for he’s a greedy old hunks, and as cynical as they make ’em. Let’s keep him out of it altogether if we can.”
The words were hardly out of his mouth when both were startled by Goodhare’s voice. This gentleman, who was not likely to lose anything for want of a little watchfulness, had conceived the idea that something was likely to turn up this evening, and had managed, in his praiseworthy intention of looking after his own interests, to scale the outer wall of the castle with the help of the ivy. He heard Sep’s words, but affected not to have done so, since any little resentment he might feel would “keep,” and to show it now would be inconvenient and even dangerous.
“Are you there, boys?” he asked therefore in a low voice, speaking in a mild and patriarchal tone.
“Yes,” answered Rees, with ill-humor which he did not hide.
He had slipped the old coin into his pocket at the first sound of the librarian’s voice; but the action did not escape Goodhare’s keen eyes. As the latter advanced and took his place slowly on the ground by the younger men, it was evident to him that something of great interest had occurred. The disordered and dirty state of Rees’s clothes, the frayed rope, the excitement under which both young men were laboring, all spoke eloquently of some discovery.
“So you’ve been down, I see, and I see also that you’ve found something. Come, lad, out with it; I’m sure by your face that I did not set you to work in vain.”
Rees moved uneasily.
“You seem to know more about it than I do myself,” he said, rather sulkily. “I’ve risked my life over this business, and I’ve found a stopped-up passage certainly, but nothing of these thousands you talked about.”
He could not, however, meet the eyes which were fixed steadily upon him.
“If you don’t choose to tell me your adventures, Rees, at least you can trust me,” the old man said at last with affecting simplicity. “So you won’t be alarmed if I withdraw from a conference where I see I’m not wanted.”