50 THE SMUGGLER. 



apologetic tone, " for several of our friends are absent just 

 now; but I have asked my good and eccentric brother Za- 

 chary to meet you to-day, Sir Edward; and also my excellent 

 neighbour, Mr. Radford, of Radford Hall; a very superior 

 man indeed under the surface, though the manner may be a 

 little rough. His son, too, I trust will join us;" and he 

 glanced his eye towards Edith, whose face grew somewhat 

 paler than it had been before. Sir Robert instantly withdrew 

 his gaze ; but the look of both father and daughter had not 

 been lost upon Digby; and he replied: 



"I have the pleasure of knowing your brother already, Sir 

 Robert. We were fellow-travellers as far as Ashford, four 

 or five days ago. I hope he is well?" 



"Oh! quite well, quite well," answered the baronet, " but 

 as odd as ever; nay odder, I think, for his expedition to Lon- 

 don. That which seems to polish and soften other men, but 

 renders him rougher and more extraordinary. But he was 

 always very odd ; very odd, indeed, even as a boy." 



"Ay, but he was always kind-hearted, brother Robert," 

 observed Miss Barbara; "and though he may be a little odd, 

 he has been in odd places, you know : India and the like ; and 

 besides, it does not do to talk of his oddity, as you are doing 

 always, for if he heard of it he might leave all his money 

 away." 



"He is only odd, I think," said Edith Croyland, "by being 

 kinder and better than other men." 



Sir Edward Digby turned towards her with a warm smile, 

 replying: "So it struck me, Miss Croyland. He is so good 

 and right-minded himself, that he is at times a little out of 

 patience with the faults and follies of others; at least, such 

 was my impression, from all I saw of him." 



"It was a just one," answered the young lady; " and I am 

 sure, Sir Edward, the more you see of him the more you will 

 be inclined to overlook the oddities for the sake of the finer 

 qualities." 



It seemed to Sir Edward Digby that the commendations of 

 Sir Robert Croyland's brother did not seem the most grateful 

 of all possible sounds to the ears of the baronet, who imme- 

 diately after announced that he would have the pleasure of 

 conducting his young guest to his apartments, adding that 

 they were early people in the country, their usual dinner-hour 



