LAZON. (c. in rapid, aside) Chut! at your age, the head should be longer than the tongue. (turning quickly to PATTY who has approached, and taking her chin) Ah! my pretty Patty! have you found a lover since I left ?

PATTY. (L.) Oh! dear no, those sort of things don't grow freely in these parts, especially when one hasn't a marriage portion, and

LAZON. No marriage portion, and you the niece of a Croesus?

GRICE. (R. C.) Croesus! what's that?

LAZON. A millionaire.

GRICE. Me! me, a millionaire! oh lor! oh lor! What a world this is! Nothing but calumny and detraction. Here! (turning out pockets) Search me! search me from top to toe, and if you find a five shilling piece upon me, may I-may you, drop down dead directly. (Joe laughs R.) What are you laughing at?

JOE. Nothing! I was only thinking of those birds who fly wide of their nests, lest their eggs should be discovered. (moves towards side. LAZONBY raises eye glass and looks at him curiously.)

LAZON. Why it's Joe! as eccentric as ever.

GRICE. He's an idiot, an utter idiot! but don't speak any more about marriage portions. It makes me ill! I hate mercenary marriages, and any one as marries my niece shan't do it for her money. She's a fortune in herself. (X's L. C., to PATTY) There go along into the dairy, and send out the milk. (catching dress, and in sharp, whispered aside, as she is about to cross L.) And don't forget to put a dash of water in it. When I read of what they do in London, it fills my heart with envy. (to JoE) What are you about now, sir?

JOE. (c.) Nothing.

GRICE. (L., quickly) Then you want a job! when you've carried in those packages you can rub down the horses, and put fresh sacks in the granary! there's nothing I hate worse than to see a young fellow with his hands in his pockets.

JOE. (laughs) Yes, but you'd rather that than see me with my hands in yours. (LAZONBY looks at him again curiously with his eye glass.)

a

GRICE. (gravely) Nobody works for me without reward Patty! let Joe have the bread I left just now. (as PATTY and JOE move up stage, GRICE and LAZONBY come down.)

JOE. Master Grice always gives me something to do, he never gives me anything for it. If it were not for Patty I'd rather be among the rocks. (Exit R.

GRICE. (L.) Now Captain what brings you again down here ?

LAZON. (R.) Money.

GRICE. You couldn't have a more noble object.

LAZON. I've made a bad book, Peter dear, and must hedge.

GRICE. In what direction ?

LAZON. (hand on GRICE's shoulder) The old one! Miss Trevargon.

GRICE. (with half shriek) Money there! why the Tregarvon estate goes to the hammer the day after to-morrow! if not disposed of by private purchase.

LAZON. I know it, and also know that sly cunning old Peter Grice means to be the purchaser. Come, come, Peter. there should be no secrets between you and I. I want your aid.

GRICE. (alarmed) Not in a pecuniary way I hope? I give you my word, and honour.

LAZON. I want your aid, and will pay for it.

GRICE. That's business!

LAZON. If you have any scruples

GRICE. (testily) Scruples! when people get to my age they shouldn't have any scruples.

Scruples indeed! scruples is like feelins! I'ates such rubbage.

LAZON. You know that Admiral Tregarvon expressed an intention of making a will in favour of his niece, Lucy? GRICE. After having quarrelled with Sir Robert! but I know also that such promises go for nothing when made by a hale, hearty man with twenty years good life in him. LAZON. Right old bird! Precisely my way of thinking. So when Sir Robert took to the turf under my guidanceGRICE. And was ruined.

LAZON. The one thing implies the other; when that event occurred, I reluctantly resigned a portionless young lady's heart, and

GRICE. Levanted.

LAZON. Retired to the continent that we might the easier forget one another. I had pretty nearly accomplished the difficult task, when I accidentally heard that the Admiral had really executed a will in Miss Tregarvon's favour, before starting on a cruise in his yacht. (X's L.)

GRICE. (R.) And where's the Admiral gone to?

LAZON. (L. with twist of wrist, pointing downwards with cigar) Down among the dead men! (sings.)

"Down, down among the dead men,

There let him lie!"

GRICE. (aghast) What!

LAZON. (laughing) Drownded.

GRICE. (in breathless surprise) The, the old villain! at his time of life too! I'ate such eccentricity! (sinks on bench aside) The scheme of a life destroyed in an hour!

LAZON. I happened to be in Bayonne at the time the news came; "Storm in the Bay of Biscay, the Petrel, Admiral Tregarvon's yacht, foundered. All hands lost." Dreadful occurrence! solemn and natural reflection! I thought of Lucy, dear Lucy! Packed up my traps, and started for Cornwall instanter, leaving the Consul at Bayonne writing a letter to Sir Robert.

GRICE. You're a keen blade, captain, that you are-razoredged, and warranted to shave in any climate. LAZON. Are you still postmaster here?

GRICE. (still seated as overcome by news) And postman, too. Why?

LAZON. The letter from the Consul is in that bag (points to mail bag on table) it must be mislaid (GRICE rises with a jump) till I'm once more Lucy Tregarvon's accepted lover. GRICE. Then ?

LAZON. (smoking) Do what you like with it.

GRICE. What's my advantage in all this?

LAZON. Peter, this is not the first time by many we've had transactions together. So it's rather late in the day to try to persuade me you're a fool. For some reasons of your own you wish to become proprietor of that old ruin up there. (indicating castle in distance) You'll never accomplish that if they get the letter. Lucy loves the place, and through the Admiral's solicitors will have no difficulty in repaying the mortgages you bought up. You see, Peter dear, I know all your little underground ways, and the nice little game you've been playing for the last ten years.

GRICE. (reflectively, and laying hand on bag) You're sure the letter's here?

LAZON. Sure, but only to be found when Tregarvon Castle is yours, and Miss Lucy mine!

GRICE. She's engaged to young Penryn of Penryn Court. LAZON. (curelessly) So I have learnt.

B

LAZON. I'm sure, there are wheels within wheels, Peter. Do your part well, and I'll do mine. (horns heard at distant) Who's riding with the Tregarvon pack?

GRICE. Sir Robert and Miss Lucy with some of the gentry. They're round by the Hollow.

LAZON. (going up stage) I'll join them. Is it a bargain? GRICE. (hand on mail bag) It is. Mutual help?

ence.

LAZON. I swear it. (horns sound again) I see them. (looking off) down by the ford. Ta! ta! Peter. (Exit U. s. R. GRICE. Swear it! Some people's power of swearin's pro-digious. There was a friend of mine in the legal line who never spoke a word of truth in his life, yet boasted he'd kissed the binding off six Bibles. (unstrapping mail bag) He must have been a relation of Captain Lazonby. (searching for knife) It's forty-five years ago since Sir Robert's father had little Peter Grice whipped out of Tregarvon Castle for theft. It was a false charge for I was an honest lad, then. In time, old Sir Robert found out his error, sent for me back, placed me in this inn, and got me appointed post-master, made me his agent. I soon saw how matters were going at the castle. To gain wealth, and to keep wealth became the sole purpose of my exist. I denied myself the necessaries of life, I scraped, and saved; they squandered and scattered, till their purses grew long as their faces; I took up their bonds wherever I could find them, and renewed them on larger interest. My worst blow was when old Sir Robert died-died before I could whisper in his ear, words that would have brought him down on his knees, pale and trembling, "out of this place-it is mine! Peter Grice, the drudge and whipping block, is your master now." Those were the words I would have spoken, and now I keep 'em for the son. (while speaking, he has opened bag, and tumbled over letters) Here's the letter! a legal hand stiff and regular like peelers at drill. (drawing out a large letter with official seal) Foreign post mark-Bayonne-Seal of the Consulate. Bother the wax I wonder any one continues to use it. It costs moneygives no extra security, and is the devil's own trouble. (as he bends over letter examining seal, ADAMS, a grizzled old sailor, a regular old salt in ragged pea jacket, blue serge trousers, and battered oil skin hat, appears at back, L. 3 E. looking about him—he walks lame as foot sore, and is covered with dust.)

ADAMS. (halts at back, makes a trumpet of his hands, and

shouts) Ahoy! (GRICE in much confusion thrusts letter in pocket, and begins without turning to hastily re-strap_mail bag-coming wearily down) When you've overhauled that letter, mate, p'raps you'll answer signals. Where am I? GRICE. Out of your road. You'll find the stocks on the village green, and the cage is close beside 'em.

ADAMS. You're a nice complimentary son of a sea cook, you are! I've only seen another such a figger head as yours, and that was on the prow of a Dutch fishing smack, and as it frightened all the fish away, it ruined the owners. (seats himself, and strikes table with fist) Rum!

GRICE. Glass?

ADAMS. Bottle! do you take me for a baby? Drink, drowns care, as the ocean drowns a pebble.

GRICE. But it rolls the pebble up again, not a bit the worse for drowning, only a little smoother and rounder. (Exit into inn, R.

ADAMS. I've finished one bottle to-day, and should have finished two afore this, but it's difficult sailing in these parts, and requires cautious steering

GRICE. (re-entering-putting bottle on table) Rum! (pulling jug) Water?

ADAMS. (seizes jug) Say that again, and I'll shy it at you. (fills glass with rum) A fellow that's been floating on a spar for twenty-four hours in the Bay of Biscay has had enough of water for one while. What place is this? GRICE. St. Arven.

ADAMS. And that? (pointing to castle in distance.)
GRICE. Tregarvon castle.

ADAMS. (jumping up) Hoorah! port at last!

GRICE. (as struck with a sudden suspicion) Where do you come from?

ADAMS. Come from? The jaws of death, that's where I comes from, old weasel mug. The only man saved out of twenty-seven. The Admiral and I hung on to a spar till he giv' in, and went down plump like the lead line, took his soundings but never come up again (fills glass and drinks) I'd half a mind to foller him, but keep afloat yer varmint ses he, and carry out my orders!

GRICE. You can't mean Admiral Tregarvon?

ADAMS. I can't mean nobody else. It isn't much more than a couple of days since I see him as plain as I see you. No, not so plain as I see you, for a huglier mug than yours, I never clapped my two blessed eyes on.

GRICE. Now leave off complimenting me, and give a