'You go back and tell John as I'll come when it's dark, an, if he's not a stupid, he won't want me to come afore.'
Bessie understood and acquiesced. She ran back with her message to John.
At half-past eight, when it had grown almost dark, Isaac descended the hill. John opened the door to his knock.
'Good-evenin, Isaac. Yer'll take it, will yer?'
'If you can't do nothin better with it,' said Isaac, unwillingly. 'But in gineral I'm not partial on keeping other folks' money.'
John liked him all the better for his reluctance.
'It'll give yer no trouble,' he said. 'You lock it up, an it'll be all safe. Now, will yer lend a hand?'
Isaac stepped to the door, looked up the lane, and saw that all was quiet. Then he came back, and the two men raised the box.
As they crossed the threshold, however, the door of the next cottage— which belonged to Watson the policeman—opened suddenly. John, in his excitement, was so startled that he almost dropped his end of the box.
'Why, Bolderfield,' said Watson's cheery voice, 'what have you got there? Do you want a hand?'