``Lord have mercy on us!'' said the Baronet.
``_Alle guten Geistern loben den Herrn!_'' ejaculated the terrified adept.``I was begun to think,'' he continued, after a moment's silence, ``that this would be de bestermost done in de day-light --we was bestermost to go away just now.''
``You juggling villain!'' said the Baronet, in whom these expressions awakened a suspicion that overcame his terrors, connected as it was with the sense of desperation arising from the apprehension of impending ruin--``you juggling mountebank!
this is some legerdemain trick of yours to get off from the performance of your promise, as you have so often done before.But, before Heaven! I will this night know what Ihave trusted to when I suffered you to fool me on to my ruin!
Go on, then--come fairy, come fiend, you shall show me that treasure, or confess yourself a knave and an impostor, or, by the faith of a desperate and ruined man, I'll send you where you shall see spirits enough.''
The treasure-finder, trembling between his terror for the supernatural beings by whom he supposed himself to be surrounded, and for his life, which seemed to be at the mercy of a desperate man, could only bring out, ``Mine patron, this is not the allerbestmost usage.Consider, mine honoured sir, that de spirits''--Here Edie, who began to enter into the humour of the scene, uttered an extraordinary howl, being an exaltation and a prolongation of the most deplorable whine in which he was accustomed to solicit charity.
Dousterswivel flung himself on his knees--``Dear Sir Arthurs, let us go, or let me go!''
``No, you cheating scoundrel!'' said the knight, unsheathing the sword which he had brought for the purposes of the exorcism, ``that shift shall not serve you--Monkbarns warned me long since of your juggling pranks--I will see this treasure before you leave this place, or I will have you confess yourself an impostor, or, by Heaven, I'll run this sword through you, though all the spirits of the dead should rise around us!''
``For de lofe of Heaven be patient, mine honoured patron, and you shall hafe all de treasure as I knows of--yes, you shall indeed--But do not speak about de spirits--it makes dem angry.''
Edie Ochiltree here prepared himself to throw in another groan, but was restrained by Lovel, who began to take a more serious interest, as he observed the earnest and almost desperate demeanour of Sir Arthur.Dousterswivel, having at once before his eyes the fear of the foul fiend, and the violence of Sir Arthur, played his part of a conjuror extremely ill, hesitating to assume the degree of confidence necessary to deceive the latter, lest it should give offence to the invisible cause of his alarm.However, after rolling his eyes, muttering and sputtering German exorcisms, with contortions of his face and person, rather flowing from the impulse of terror than of meditated fraud, he at length proceeded to a corner of the building where a flat stone lay upon the ground, bearing upon its surface the effigy of an armed warrior in a recumbent posture carved in bas-relief.He muttered to Sir Arthur, ``Mine patrons, it is here--Got save us all!''
Sir Arthur, who, after the first moment of his superstitious fear was over, seemed to have bent up all his faculties to the pitch of resolution necessary to carry on the adventure, lent the adept his assistance to turn over the stone, which, by means of a lever that the adept had provided, their joint force with difficulty effected.No supernatural light burst forth from below to indicate the subterranean treasury, nor was there any apparition of spirits, earthly or infernal.But when Dousterswivel had, with great trepidation, struck a few strokes with a mattock, and as hastily thrown out a shovelful or two of earth (for they came provided with the tools necessary for digging), something was heard to ring like the sound of a falling piece of metal, and Dousterswivel, hastily catching up the substance which produced it, and which his shovel had thrown out along with the earth, exclaimed, ``On mine dear wort, mine patrons, dis is all--it is indeed; I mean all we can do to-night;''--and he gazed round him with a cowering and fearful glance, as if to see from what comer the avenger of his imposture was to start forth.
``Let me see it,'' said Sir Arthur; and then repeated, still more sternly, ``I will be satisfied--I will judge by mine own eyes.'' He accordingly held the object to the light of the lantern.It was a small case, or casket,--for Lovel could not at the distance exactly discern its shape, which, from the Baronet's exclamation as he opened it, he concluded was filled with coin.``Ay,'' said the Baronet, ``this is being indeed in good luck! and if it omens proportional success upon a larger venture, the venture shall be made.That six hundred of Goldieword's, added to the other incumbent claims, must have been ruin indeed.If you think we can parry it by repeating this experiment--suppose when the moon next changes,--I will hazard the necessary advance, come by it how I may.''
``Oh, mine good patrons, do not speak about all dat,'' said Dousterswivel, ``as just now, but help me to put de shtone to de rights, and let us begone our own ways.'' And accordingly, so soon as the stone was replaced, he hurried Sir Arthur, who was now resigned once more to his guidance, away from a spot, where the German's guilty conscience and superstitious fears represented goblins as lurking behind each pillar with the purpose of punishing his treachery.
``Saw onybody e'er the like o' that!'' said Edie, when they had disappeared like shadows through the gate by which they had entered--``saw ony creature living e'er the like o' that!--But what can we do for that puir doited deevil of a knight-baronet?