70 THE SMUGGLER. 



sister, who was, to say the truth, an enigma to him ; for lie 

 himself could form no conception of her good-nature, simplicity, 

 and kindness, and consequently thought that all the mischief 

 she occasionally caused, must originate in well-concealed spite, 

 which gave him a great reverence for her character. Sir 

 Edward Digby, notwithstanding a hint from Sir Robert to 

 take in his youngest daughter, advanced to Miss Croyland, and 

 secured her, as he thought, for himself; while the brother of 

 the master of the house followed with the fair Zara, leaving 

 the clergyman and Sir Robert to come together. By a ma- 

 noeuvre on the part of Edith, however, favoured by her father, 

 but nearly frustrated by the busy spirit of her aunt, Miss Croy- 

 land got placed between Sir Robert and the clergyman, while 

 the youngest daughter of the house was seated by Sir Edward 

 Digby, leaving a chair vacant between herself and her worthy 

 parent for young Radford, when he should arrive. 



All this being arranged, to the satisfaction of everybody but 

 Sir Edward Digby, grace was said, after a not very decent 

 hint from Sir Robert Croyland, that it ought not to be too 

 long, and the dinner commenced with the usual attack upon 

 soup and fish. It must not be supposed, however, because we 

 have ventured to say that the arrangement was not to the 

 satisfaction cf Sir Edward Digby, that the young baronet was 

 at all disinclined to enjoy his pretty little friend's society 

 nearer than the opposite side of the table. Nor must it be 

 imagined that his sage reflections, in regard to keeping himself 

 out of danger, had at all made a coward of the gallant 

 soldier. The truth is, he had a strong desire to study Edith 

 Croyland, not on account of any benefit which that study 

 could be of to himself, but with other motives and views, 

 which, upon the whole, were very laudable. He wished to see 

 into her mind, and by those slight indications which were all 

 he could expect her to display, but which, nevertheless, to a 

 keen observer, often tell a history better than a whole volume 

 of details, to ascertain some facts in regard to which he took 

 a considerable interest. Being somewhat eager in his way, 

 and not knowing how long he might find it either convenient 

 or safe to remain in his present quarters, he had determined 

 to commence the campaign as soon as possible ; but, frustrated 

 in his first attack, he determined to change his plan of opera- 

 tions, and besiege the fair Zara as one of the enemy's out- 



