The lad plucked my sleeve.
"Look," he whispered, "everything of value has been taken by these vandals."
I glanced around me; it was true. The gold and silver goblets, the candlesticks of precious metal, the draperies and statues, the paintings and ornaments, even the very skins and rugs upon the floor were gone. Naught but the heavy furniture remained. I doubted not that they would take that, did they but have a way to carry it on the ship. I glanced through the open door, it was the same in the other room; even as I looked, I saw the men descending the stairs, bringing the booty from above and stripping the hall as they passed through.
Drake had made a clean job of it, yet even now he mourned because he could not discover the treasure of DeNortier. He turned from the window.
"'Tis a pity that thou dost not know where the treasure is hidden," he said. "The gold would have more weight with Elizabeth in freeing thee, than would the innocence of Saint George himself," and with these words he waited silently a moment to see what effect they would have upon me.
But I stood cold and unmoved, and growling out indistinctly a word or two, which I could not understand, he picked up his hat and strode away.
I felt a touch upon my arm; looking around, I saw Father Francis behind me.
"Dog!" I shouted, "and dost thou think to slink here thus to taunt me, and after thou hast sworn away my life?" and with a threatening look, I lifted my clenched fist.
"Hush!" he whispered, drawing nearer to me, his face grave and serious. "I have something of importance for thy ear alone. Come but into the next room. What! And when thy very life hangs in my hands, and I can save thee at a word? I offer to say that word even now for thee, and set thee and the lad free." And he pointed to Oliver, who upon seeing the priest had turned his back, and was gazing intently out of the window.
"Thy life is thine own, to throw away as thou choosest," he continued, "but the boy, so young and innocent—wouldst thou send him to his death? His blood would be upon thy head."