68 THE SMUGGLER. 



and while her father was busy receiving Mr. Radford with 

 somewhat profuse attention, she gracefully crossed the room, 

 and seating herself by Edith, laid her hand upon her sister's, 

 whispering something to her with a kindly look. 



Sir Edward Digby marked it all, and liked it ; for there is 

 something in the bottom of man's heart which has always a 

 sympathy with affection; but he, nevertheless did not fail to 

 take a complete survey of the personage who entered, and 

 whom I must now present to the reader, somewhat more dis- 

 tinctly than I could do by the moonlight. Mr. Richard Bad- 

 ford was a tall, thin, but large-boned man, with dark eyes 

 and overhanging shaggy brows, a hook nose, considerably de- 

 pressed towards the point, a mouth somewhat wide, and teeth 

 very fine for his age, though somewhat straggling and shark- 

 like. His hair was very thick, and apparently coarse; his 

 arms long and powerful, and his legs, notwithstanding the 

 nieagerness of his body, furnished with very respectable calves. 

 On the whole, he was a striking but not a prepossessing 

 person ; and there was a look of keenness and cupidity, we 

 might almost say voracity, in his eye, with a bend in the brow, 

 which would have given the observer an idea of great quick- 

 ness of intellect and decision of character, if it had not been 

 for a certain degree of weakness about the partly opened 

 mouth, which seemed to be in opposition to the latter charac- 

 teristic. He was dressed in the height of the mode, with 

 large buckles in his shoes and smaller ones at his knees, a 

 light dress-sword hanging not ungracefully by his side, and 

 a profusion of lace and embroidery about his apparel. 



Mr. Radford replied to the courtesies of Sir Robert Croy- 

 land with perfect self-possession one might almost call it self- 

 sufficiency-^-but with no grace and some stiffness. He was 

 then introduced, in form, to Sir Edward Digby, bowing low, 

 if that could be called a bow, which was merely an inclination 

 of the rigid spine, from a perpendicular position to an angle of 

 forty-five with the horizon. The young officer's demeanour 

 formed a very striking contrast with that of his new acquain- 

 tance, not much in favour of the latter; but he showed that, 

 as Mr. Croyland had predicated of him, he was quite prepared 

 to say a great many courteous nothings in a very civ 7 il and 

 obliging tone. Mr. Radford declared himself delighted at the 

 honour of making his acquaintance, and Sir Edward pronounced 



