"I bear you no grudge, my lad, though I had a bump on my head for a week afterwards. Had you not tripped me I should have run my rapier through the villain, and there would like have been an end of me."
"Shall I tell the boy, Mr. Merriman?" said Clive.
"Not now, not now," said Merriman quickly.
The other gentlemen, during this dialogue, had been discussing the information they had gained about Gheria fort.
"Well," said Clive, "you are lucky, let me tell you, Mr. Burke, to be out of this Diggle's clutches. By the way, have you seen him since he sold you to the Pirate?"
"He came a few days before I escaped, and wanted me to come here as a spy. Angria promised me my freedom and a large sum of money."
"What's that?" cried Merriman. "Wanted you to come as a spy?"
"Yes, sir."
"And what did you say?"
"I told him he might do it himself."