The crystal perfume bottle, with its few drops of that deadly cantarella poison, I held to the light and examined carefully, as well as the antidote—both presents given to Godfrey by Lucrezia herself, with instructions how to use them.
I was in the act of replacing both bottles in the old jewel case, with its faded lining of purple velvet, when I noticed the top of the lining was loose, and on touching it it fell away and a small folded piece of damp-stained parchment came into my hand.
There was faded writing upon it in Godfrey’s erratic script, and the words I deciphered caused my heart to leap.
Chapter Thirty Six.
Shows the Actual Spot at Crowland.
The words, badly faded by the action of the water which had apparently got into the casket during its years of submersion, we made out as follows:
“Ye who hast dared to learn this secret may ye benefit greatly by it. Know ye now also that ye may discover the treasure of our good abbot John of Croylande by means only of this plan I have hereunto drawn.
“Godfrey Lovel, sometime monk at Croylande.”