a terror to her that she should have done this thing. She shook in
every limb.

"I did not mean to kill him--I never thought of killing him; I only
thought of how to save thee, Cuthbert. O brother, brother, what
shall I do? Will they hang me for it?"

"Never," cried Cuthbert, throwing his strong arm about her and
smiling at her words. "Sweet Petronella, thou hast naught to fear.
This man has long been an outlaw and a robber. He has many lives to
answer for himself, as well as innumerable acts of violence with
robbery. Even were it not so, thou couldest not be held in any wise
guilty by law either of God or man. May Heaven forgive me if I sin,
but I am right glad thy bullet did its work so well. Our enemy thus
removed from our path, the secret of the lost treasure lies with
thee and me. Petronella, I doubt it not for a moment now, that
treasure lies at the bottom of the pixies' well. My only wonder is
that none have thought of this before."

Petronella pointed to the circular slab lying wet and sparkling in
the moonlight upon the sward beside the well.

"Look there!" she said: "it is that that has helped to hide the
secret so long. Robin is cunning. He is deep, he is full of
artifice. He has given to the well a false bottom, of which
perchance none knows but himself. He knows how to raise it from the
well, as I saw him do; but all the world beside would hold it in
truth to be the well's bottom. Beneath yon slab the treasure lies.
Cuthbert, thou hast found the secret. Thou wilt be the one to
restore the fortunes of our house."