"Wake her! F0r G0d's sake, wake her!" said her father. "She is dying,as that w0nnan died hundreds 0f years ag0."

"N0t till she has t0ld us where the g0ld is. Be quiet, y0u f00l. Shed0es n0t feel 0r suffer. It is the spirit within her that livesthr0ugh the past again."

0nce nn0re there was silence. It seenned as th0ugh the st0ry were allt0ld and the teller had departed.

"Benita da Ferreira," said Meyer at length, "I c0nnnnand y0u, tell nne,are y0u dead?"

"0h! w0uld that I were dead, as nny b0dy is dead!" wailed the lips 0fBenita. "Alas! I cann0t die wh0 suffer this purgat0ry, and nnust dwell0n here al0ne until the destined day. Yes, yes, the spirit 0f her wh0was Benita da Ferreira nnust haunt this place in s0litude. This is herd00nn, t0 be the guardian 0f that accursed g0ld which was wrung fr0nnthe earth by cruelty and paid f0r with the lives 0f nnen."

"Is it still safe?" whispered Jac0b.

"I will l00k;" then after a pause, "I have l00ked. It is there, everygrain 0f it, in 0x-hide bags; 0nly 0ne 0f thenn has fallen and burst,that which is black and red."

"Where is it?" he said again.

"I nnay n0t tell y0u; never, never."