18 THE SMUGGLE!?. 



made the tea, carved the ham, and asked every man if he took 

 cream and sugar. What wonderful things little attentions are ; 

 how they smooth down our asperities and soften us to one another 1 

 The two younger gentlemen had looked upon their elderly com- 

 panion merely as that curious compound which we have 

 before mentioned, an oddity; and which, like a pinch of strong 

 snuff, stimulates us without being very pleasant; but now they 

 began to think him a very nice old gentleman; and even the 

 graver of the pair conversed with him almost cheerfully for the 

 short space of time their meal occupied. When they had 

 finished, and paid the score, the whole party walked out to- 

 gether to the front of the house, where they found a poor 

 beggar-woman with a child in her arms. Each gave her 

 something, but the elderly man stopped to inquire farther, and 

 the others walked up and down for a few minutes, till the 

 coachman, who was making himself comfortable by the ab- 

 sorption of his breakfast, and the horses who were undergoing 

 the opposite process in the application of their harness, at length 

 made their appearance. The two younger gentlemen turned 

 their eyes from time to time, as they walked, to their elderly 

 friend, who seemed to be scolding the poor woman most vehe- 

 mently. His keen black eyes sparkled, his brow contracted, 

 he spoke with great volubility, and demonstrated somewhat 

 largely with the forefinger of his right hand. What were 

 their internal comments upon this conduct did not appear, but 

 both were a good deal surprised to see him, in the end, put his 

 hand into his breeches pocket, draw forth a piece of money; 

 it was not silver, for it was yellow, and it was not copper, for 

 it was too bright, and slip it quietly into the poor woman's 

 palm. He next gave a quiet, almost a timid glance around, 

 to see if any one were looking, and then stepped rapidly into 

 the coach, as if he were ashamed of what he had done. Dur- 

 ing all this proceeding he had taken no notice of his two com- 

 panions, nor at all listened to what they were talking of; but 

 as they entered the vehicle, while the horses were being put 

 to, the one said to the other, " I think you had better do so, 

 a great deal. It is as well to have the carte du pays before 

 one commences operations." 



" Well," replied the other, " you take the lead, Edward. 

 The wound is still painful, though it is an old one." 



What they were talking of their companion could not tell ; 



