"I'll not sleep at Mardykes to-night; neither will I eat, nor drink, nor
sit me down--no, nor so much as stretch my hands to the fire. As the man
of God came out of Judah to king Jeroboam, so come I to you, sent by a
vision, to bear a warning; and as he said, 'If thou wilt give me half
thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor
drink water in this place,' so also say I."

"Do as you please," said Sir Bale, a little sulkily. "Say your say; and
you are welcome to stay or go, if go you will on so mad a night as
this."

"Leave us," said Creswell, beckoning the servant back with his thin
hands; "what I have to say is to your master."

The servant went, in obedience to a gesture from Sir Bale, and shut the
door.

The old man drew nearer to the Baronet, and lowering his loud stern
voice a little, and interrupting his discourse from time to time, to
allow the near thunder-peals to subside, he said,

"Answer me, Sir Bale--what is this that has chanced between you and
Philip Feltram?"

The Baronet, under the influence of that blunt and peremptory demand,
told him shortly and sternly enough.

"And of all these facts you are sure, else ye would not blast your early
companion and kinsman with the name of thief?"