“Drown thee—not I!” replied the giant, laughing. “But I took thee for a rat or an otter.”
“None but a sleepy dolt like thyself would have made such a mistake,” said Xit. “I could not waken thee without plucking thy beard. Call’st thou this keeping guard over the treasure? I call it gross negligence.”
“Well, well, I am vigilant enough now,” rejoined Magog. “What hast thou to say to me?”
“Something that will keep thee wakeful, I trust,” said Xit. “Lend me thine ears, and I will disclose it to thee. I have discovered a plot.”
“Poh! thou art always making some silly discovery that leads to nothing,” rejoined Magog.
“But this will lead more than one man to the scaffold,” pursued Xit, mysteriously. “’Tis an important discovery I have made.”
“Indeed!” exclaimed Magog, with some curiosity. “What is it? Let me hear and judge.”
“It relates to the chests on which thou art sitting,” replied Xit. “There is a plot to carry them off. Master Lovel, the keeper of the treasure, is concerned in it, but the principal contrivers are Osbert Clinton, Sir Henry Dudley, Sir Anthony Kingston, Udal, and the others connected with the late outbreak.”
“Ah, this is indeed important!” cried Magog. “And how didst thou make this discovery?”
“You shall hear,” replied Xit. “Suspecting all was not right, I followed Lovel to his lodging, and by listening at the keyhole, managed to overhear a conversation between him and Osbert Clinton, who is at present concealed in the Jewel House. From this I learnt that the treasure is to be carried off by the traitors, in order to assist them in getting up another insurrection of a far more formidable character than the last. Their plan is to bring a boat to Traitors’ Gate at nine o’clock to-night, when, feigning to be officers sent by the King to remove the treasure to the Exchequer, they will present a warrant, and Master Lovel, being their accomplice, the coffers will be delivered to them—so at least they calculate.”