She bustled out of the room to the kitchen, and the highwayman spread his booted legs under the table, tucked his thumbs into his belt and regarded Ethan and Dale with careless indifference. But his attention was soon drawn from them to Danvers and Wheelock who still sat conversing upon the side porch near the window. Their tones had grown louder, and Ethan could plainly hear what passed between them, as could Dale and Master Dirk Hatfield.
“And how did you learn that Fochard had deceived you?” Wheelock was saying.
“He sent me word himself that he had the paper—that he had taken it from Siki. He had intended disposing of it himself, but at the last moment he grew afraid; the French might call it treason, you know, to give comfort to the enemy in the way of news. So he crossed the channel in a French vessel——”
“Why,” exclaimed Wheelock, “it was the British frigate Sea Horse he was in at Plymouth, was it not?”
“It was. The Sea Horse took the vessel in which he had crossed: but when the captain learned that Fochard had secret business with me he knew that for the time at least he was an important personage and so entered the river and sent for me.”
He drew out a packet, stained and soiled, and sealed with great splotches of red wax, and laid it upon the table between them with much satisfaction. Ethan drew in his breath sharply at sight of it and his hand closed like a vise upon Dale’s arm.
“The secret dispatch,” he whispered.
The boy was in such a position that Danvers, even should he look into the room, could not see him; but Ethan had a clear view of the two upon the porch, and kept his eyes upon them constantly.
“Ten thousand pounds,” said Wheelock in a brooding sort of way. “It’s a great deal of money to give up to that French rascal.”
“I know it,” said Danvers, “but those were his terms. He wanted all the money and kindly offered the credit to me. And that was something; for he could have just as well as not have taken the papers to Lord North and received both.”