58 THE SMUGGLER. 



the broken steps were half covered with rubbish, he emerged 

 upon the top of the wall, where many a sentinel had kept his 

 weary watch in times long past. At a little distance in 

 advance, standing in the pale moonlight, was a tall, gaunt 

 figure, leaning against a fragment of one of the neighbouring 

 towers; and Harding did not pause to look at the splendour 

 of the view below, though it might well, with its world of 

 wood and meadow, bounded by the glistening sea, have 

 attracted eyes less fond of such scenes than his; but on lie 

 walked, straight towards the person before him, who, on his 

 part, hurried forward to meet him, whenever the sound of his 

 step broke upon the ear. 



" Good night, Harding 1" said Mr. Radford, in a low but 

 still harsh tone; "what a time you have been. It will be 

 one o'clock or more before I get back." 



" Past two," answered the smuggler, bluntly; "but I came 

 as soon as I could. It is not much more than half an hour 

 since I got your message." 



" That stupid boy has been playing the fool, then," replied 

 the other; "I sent him " 



"Oh, he's not stupid!" interrupted the smuggler; "and 

 he's not given to play the fool either. More likely to play the 

 rogue. But what's the business now, sir? There's no doing 

 anything on such nights as these." 



" I know that, I know that," rejoined Radford. " But 

 this will soon change. The moon will be dwindled down to a 

 cheese-paring before many days are over, and the barometer 

 is falling. It is necessary that we should make all our arrange- 

 ments beforehand, Harding, and have everything ready. We 

 must have no more such jobs as the last two." 



"I had nothing to do with them," rejoined the smuggler. 

 "You chose your own people, and they failed. I do not 

 mean to say it was their fault, for I don't think it was. 

 They lost as much, for them, as you did ; and they did their 

 best, I dare say; but still that is nothing to me. I've under- 

 taken to land the cargo, and I will do it, if I live. If I die, 

 there's nothing to be said, you know; but I don't say I'll 

 ever undertake another of the sort. It does not answer, Mr. 

 Radford. It makes a man think too much, to know that other 

 people have got so much money staked on such a venture." 



" Ay, but that is the very cause why every one should 



