THE SMUGGLER. 63 



Although you have become a great gentleman, and live at a 

 fine place inland, people haven't forgot when you kept a house 

 and a counting-house too, in Hythe, and all that used to go 

 on in those $ays; and though you are a magistrate, and go 

 out hunting and shooting, and all that, the good folks about 

 have little doubt that you have a hankering after the old 

 trade yet, only that you do your business on a larger scale 

 than you did then, It's but the other day, when I was in at 

 South's, the grocer's, to talk to him about some stuff* he 

 wanted, I heard two men say one to the other, as they saw 

 you pass, 'Ay, there goes old Radford. I wonder what he's 

 down here for!' 'As great an old smuggler as ever lived,' 

 said the other; 'and a pretty penny he's made of it. He's 

 still at it, they say ; and I dare say he's down here now upon 

 some such concern.' So you see, sir, people talk about it, and 

 that's the reason why I say that the less you are here the 

 better." 



"Perhaps it is; perhaps it is," answered Mr. Radford, 

 quickly; "and as we've now settled all we can settle, till you 

 come up, I'll take myself home. Good night, Harding ; good 

 night!" 



"Good night, sir!" answered Harding, with something like 

 a smile upon his lip ; and finding their way down again to the 

 court below, they parted. 



" I don't like that fellow at all," said Mr. Radford to him- 

 self, as he walked away upon the road to Hythe, where he 

 had left his horse; "he's more than half inclined to be uncivil. 

 I'll have nothing more to do with him after this is over." 



Harding took his way across the fields towards Sandgate, 

 and perhaps his thoughts were not much more complimentary 

 to his companion than Mr. Radford's had been to him; but in 

 the mean time, while each followed his separate course home- 

 ward, we must remain for a short space in the green, moon- 

 light court of Saltwood Castle. All remained still and silent 

 for about three minutes ; but then the ivy, which at that time 

 had gathered thickly round the old walls, might be seen to 

 move in the neighbourhood of a small aperture in one of the 

 ruined flanking towers of the outer wall, to which it had at 

 one time probably served as a window, though all traces of its 

 original form were now lost. The tower was close to the spot 

 where Mr. Radford and his companion had been standing; 



