No sooner had he disappeared than Monk left the house also, and, following a footpath, through the woods, made straight for William Jones’s cottage. Entering unceremoniously, he found that worthy seated beside the hearth. Without a word he rushed upon him, seized him by the throat, and began pummelling his head upon the wall.
The attack was so sudden that for several minutes William Jones offered no resistance whatever. Indeed, so passive was he, and so violent was the rage of his opponent, that there was every prospect of his head being beaten to a jelly. Presently, however; Monk’s fury abating, his unfortunate victim was allowed to pick himself up. He sat and stared before him, while Monk, looking like the Evil One himself, glared savagely in his face.
“You villain! You accursed, treacherous scoundrel!” he said. “Tell me what you’ve done, or I’ll kill you!”
But William Jones was unconscious of having done anything, and he said as much, whereupon Monk’s fury seemed about to rise again.
“Mr. Monk,” cried William Jones, in terror, “look ye now, tell me what’s the matter?”
“I mean you to tell me what you have been hiding from me all these years. Something came ashore with that child—something that might lead to her identity, and you have kept it, thinking to realize money upon it, or to have me in your power. What means it? Speak, or I’ll strangle you!” But William Jones was evidently unable to speak, being perfectly paralyzed with fear. Monk stretched forth his hands to seize him again, when the old man, who had been a horrified spectator of all this, suddenly broke in with—
“Look ye, now, I know there was summat. It were a leetle book, stuffed in the front of her frock!”
“A book!” returned Monk, eagerly; “and what did you do with it? Tell me that, you old fool! Did you burn it?”
“Burn it?” exclaimed the other. “No, mister; we don’t burn nothin’, William and me. You know where you put it, William dear, in the old place.”
“Then curse you for an avaricious old devil,” thundered Monk. “The book has been stolen—do you hear!—stolen by that young painter!”