"Wilt thou resign her if she will not?"
He was silent for a moment, and then said,
"What would you have me do?"
"Take her with thee to thy vessel—once there, thy will must be her will. I shall give thee neither rest nor peace, on sea or land, till thou art the acknowledged Earl of Lester, and, by marriage, Lord of Bellamont. Go. Where you see the light burning in yonder window is her chamber. I saw her there as the sun went down. Go, and when thou hast spoken with her, come to my hut and tell me how thou art received. See thou lag not, for I have prepared the rites thou hast sought of me—and if thou wouldst have thy buried treasures hid from mortal eyes, and prosper in what thou undertakest, see thou art with me before the midnight hour."
"Stay, Elpsy; should she discover that Kyd and Lester are the same?"
"Then," said the woman, in a sneering and malicious tone of voice, "thou wilt have to woo the rougher, and 'twill be more to thy credit if thou carry her off. Would it humble thy pride to have her know it?"
"By Heaven, did I believe she did, I would not go near her."
The witch laughed in such a way that he half suspected her of betraying him. He laid his hand on her shoulder, and said quickly,
"Woman, thou hast told her, to gratify thy malicious soul."
"Think you I would crush the seed, when, by a little patience, I can pluck the fruit of the full-grown tree? Go, boy!"