"Verily I do, sir; I will be mute."




CHAPTER II. EVIL TIDINGS.



After giving orders for the repairs of the Mastiff, and the disposal
of her crew, Master Richard Talbot purveyed himself of a horse at the
hostel, and set forth for Spurn Head to make inquiries along the
coast respecting the wreck of the Bride of Dunbar, and he was joined
by Cuthbert Langston, who said his house had had dealings with her
owners, and that he must ascertain the fate of her wares. His good
lady remained in charge of the mysterious little waif, over whom her
tender heart yearned more and more, while her little boy hovered
about in serene contemplation of the treasure he thought he had
recovered. To him the babe seemed really his little sister; to his
mother, if she sometimes awakened pangs of keen regret, yet she
filled up much of the dreary void of the last few weeks.

Mrs. Talbot was a quiet, reserved woman, not prone to gadding abroad,
and she had made few acquaintances during her sojourn at Hull; but
every creature she knew, or might have known, seemed to her to drop
in that day, and bring at least two friends to inspect the orphan of
the wreck, and demand all particulars.

The little girl was clad in the swaddling garments of Mrs. Talbot's
own children, and the mysterious marks were suspected by no one, far