82 THE SMUGGLER. 



against which you warn me, I have no fears, The game of 

 coquetry can be played by two.'' 



"Ay, but woe to him who loses!" said Mr. Croyland, in a 

 more serious tone. "But go along with you; go along! You 

 are, a rash young man ; and if you will court your fate, you 

 must." 



The young baronet accordingly walked away, leaving Mrs. 

 Barbara to recover from her confusion as she best might, and 

 Mr. Croyland to scold her at his leisure, which Sir Edward 

 did not in the slightest degree doubt he would do. It was a 

 beautiful summer's afternoon in the end of August, the very 

 last day of the month, the hour about a quarter to six, so that 

 the sun had nearly to run a twelfth part of his course before 

 the time of his setting. It was warm and cheerful, too, but 

 with a freshness in the air, and a certain golden glow over the 

 sky, which told that it was evening. Not wishing exactly to pass 

 before the dining-room windows, Sir Edward endeavoured to 

 find his way out into the wood behind the house by the stable 

 and farm yards; but he soon found himself in a labyrinth 

 from which it was difficult to extricate himself, and in the 

 end was obliged to have recourse to a stout country lad, who 

 was walking up towards the mansion, with a large pail of 

 milk tugging at his hand, and bending in the opposite direction 

 to balance the load. Right willingly, however, the youth set 

 down the pail ; and, leaving it to the tender mercies of some 

 pigs, who were walking about in the yard, and did not fail to 

 inquire into the nature of its contents, he proceeded to show 

 the way through the flower and kitchen gardens, by a small 

 door in the wall, to a path which led out at once amongst the 

 trees. 



Now, Sir Edward Digby had not the slightest idea of 

 which way the two young ladies had gone ; and it was by no 

 means improbable that, if he were left without pilotage in 

 going and returning, he might lose his way in the wood, 

 which, as I have said, was very extensive. But all true 

 lovers are fond of losing their way; and as he had his sword 

 by his side, he had not the slightest objection to that charac- 

 teristic of an Amadis, having in reality a good deal of the 

 knight- errant about him, and rather liking a little adventure, 

 if it did not go too far. His adventures, indeed, were not 

 destined that night to be very remarkable; for, following the 



