G6 THE SMUGGLER. 



none of either to be had in this remote corner of the world. 

 You have some object, of course, in coming among us, for 

 every man has an object, but what it is I can't divine." 



"A very great object, indeed, my dear sir," replied the 

 young officer with a smile; " I wish to cultivate the acquain- 

 tance of an old friend of my father's, your brother here, who 

 was kind enough to invite me." 



" A very unprofitable sort of plant to cultivate," answered 

 Mr. Croyland, in a voice quite loud enough to be heard by the 

 whole room. " It won't pay tillage, I should think; but you 

 know your own affairs best. Here, Edith, my love, I must 

 make you better acquainted with my young fellow-traveller. 

 Doubtless, he is perfectly competent to talk as much nonsense 

 to you as any other young man about town, and has imported, 

 for the express benefit of the young ladies in the country, all 

 the sweet things and pretty speeches last in vogue. But he 

 can, in his saner moments,, and if you just let him know that 

 you are not quite a fool, bestow upon you some small portion 

 of common sense, which he has picked up, Heaven knows 

 how! He couldn't have it by descent, for he is an eldest son, 

 and that portion of the family property is always reserved for 

 the younger children." 



Mrs. Barbara Croyland, who found that her brother Zachary 

 was riding his horse somewhat hard, moved across the room, 

 with the superfluity of whalebone which she had in her stays 

 crackling at every step, as if expressly to attract attention, 

 and, laying her hand on Mr. Croyland's arm, she whispered, 

 "Now do, brother, be a little civil and kind. There's no use 

 of hurting people's feelings ; and if Eobert has'nt as much sense 

 as you, there's no use you should be always telling him so." 



"Pish! nonsense!" cried Mr. Croyland, "hold your tongue, 

 Bab. You're a good soul as ever lived, but a great fool into 

 the bargain. So don't meddle. I should think you had burnt 

 your fingers enough with it by this time." 



" And I'm sure you're a good soul, too, if you would but 

 let people know it," replied Mrs. Barbara, anxious to soften 

 and keep down all the little oddities and asperities of her 

 family circle in the eyes of Sir Edward Digby. 



But she only showed them the more by so doing; for Mr. 

 Croyland was not to be caught by honey, and, besides, the 

 character which she in her simplicity thought fit to attribute 



