His progress was stayed by the voices of the girl and Doak; and raising his head until his eyes were on a level with the floor, he saw them enter the room together.
"Whatever be she up to?" he muttered. Then hearing footsteps in the hall below, he sped noiselessly up the few remaining steps, and made haste to hide himself in Mistress Trask's linen-press, standing only a short distance away, and which afforded him ample opportunity for watching, as he held the door ajar.
"Aha, my lady spy," he whispered to himself, "I'll keep my eye on ye—an' my ears, too. Ye can't fool Jason Gilbert, 'though ye may fool some as thinks they know more as I."
He saw Doak fetch the British prisoner, and noted the length of time the young man remained in the room whither the girl had gone.
"Aye—him outside, last night, an' she on the inside," his maudlin thoughts ran on. "They thought to hev it all their own way,—to tell the Britishers the names o' the officers that were here, an' all that was goin' on. An' now here be General Washington himself, I'll be bound, lettin' her coax him to save t' other spy from hangin', when they both ought to be strung up together. I wish now I'd not set up a hello that brought the men out o' the inn, but had jest given him a crack o'er the head myself, to settle the matter, an' so hev none o' this triflin', with her tryin' to pull the wool over the General's eyes. But I guess he'll know 'em for the pair o' d——d British spies they be."
His lips moved in unworded mutterings, his eyes intent upon Doak—now sitting by the closed door—or else glancing about the hall to see if any one were approaching his place of concealment.
When Doak was again summoned within the room, Gilbert thought to improve the chance for making his escape; but seeing that the door was open a few inches, he concluded to wait. Then he saw the fisherman come out with the prisoner, and he uttered a low curse when the young man turned to meet the girl's eyes before the door closed behind him.
Before the sound of their footsteps died away down the hall, Farmer Gilbert left his hiding-place and hastened below, sitting down on the steps to replace his shoes, as one of the women servants came along.
"Got a pebble, or summat, in my shoe," he explained, raising his head; for the girl had stopped, and was staring at him curiously.
"Did ye have to take off both shoes to find it?" she asked pertly.