THE SMUGGLE!*. 23 



poor fellow! and was never married, which was the only 

 blessing Heaven ever granted him, except a good heart and a 

 well regulated mind. His sister married my old schoolfellow, 

 Lay ton; but that's a bad story, and a sad story, though now 

 it's an old story, too." 



" Indeed!" said Sir Edward Digby ; "I'm fond of old stories 

 if they are good ones." 



"But I told you this was a bad one, Sir Ned," rejoined the 

 old gentleman sharply; "and as my brother behaved very ill 

 to poor Layton, the less we say of it the better. The truth 

 is," he continued, for he was one of those who always refuse 

 to tell a story and tell it after all, " Layton was rector of a 

 living which was in my brother's gift. He was only to hold 

 it, however, till my youngest nephew was of age to take it; 

 but when the boy died as they both did sooner or later 

 Layton held the living on, and thought it was his own, till 

 one day there came a quarrel between him and my brother, 

 and then Robert brought forward his letter promising to resign 

 when called upon, and drove him out. I wasn't here, then; 

 but I have heard all about it since, and a bad affair it was. 

 It should not have happened if I had been here, for Bob has 

 a shrewd eye to the nabob's money, as well he may, seeing 

 that he's but that's no business of mine. If he chooses to 

 dribble through his fortune, Heaven knows how, I've nothing 

 to do with it I The two poor girls will suffer." 



" What, your brother has two fair daughters then, has 

 he?" demanded Sir Edward Digby. "I suppose it is under 

 the artillery of their glances I am first to pass ; for, doubtless, 

 you know I am going to your brother's." 



"Oh, yes, I know; I know all about it!" replied Mr. 

 Croyland. "They tell me everything as in duty bound; 

 that's to say, everything they don't wish to conceal. But 

 I'm consulted like an oracle upon all things unimportant; for 

 he that was kicked out with a sixpence into the wide world, 

 has grown a wonderful great man since the sixpence has mul- 

 tiplied itself. As to your having to pass under the artillery 

 of the girls' glances, however, you must take care of yourself; 

 for you might stand a less dangerous fire, I can tell you, even 

 in a field of battle. But I'll give you one warning for your 

 safeguard. You may make love to little Zara as long as you 

 like; think of the fools calling her Zara! Though she'll play 



