98 THE SMUGGLER. 



He inquired too curiously for his own peace first, whether 

 she was yet married, next, whether she was really engaged ; 

 and every one gave but one account." 



"How busy they have been!" said Zara, thoughtfully. 

 " Whoever said it, it is false, Sir Edward; and he should not 

 have doubted her more than she doubted him." 



" She, you admit, had one message," answered Digby ; "he 

 had none ; and yet he had a lingering hope ; trust would not 

 altogether be crushed out. Can you tell me the tenor of the 

 letters which she sent?" 



"Nay, I did not read them," replied his fair companion; 

 "but she told me that it was the same story still: that she 

 could not violate her duty to her parent ; but that she should 

 ever consider herself pledged and plighted to him beyond recall, 

 by what had passed between them." 



"Then there is light at last," said Digby, with a smile; 

 " but what is this story of young Eadford? Is he, or is he not, 

 her lover? He seemed to pay her little attention; more, in- 

 deed, to yourself." 



The gay girl laughed. " I will tell you all about it," she 

 answered. " Richard Radford is not her lover, He cares as 

 little about her as about the Queen of England, or anybody he 

 has never seen ; and, as you say, he would perhaps pay me the 

 compliment of selecting me rather than Edith, if there was not 

 a very cogent objection: Edith has forty thousand pounds set- 

 tled upon herself by my mother's brother, who was her god- 

 father; I have nothing, or next to nothing some three or 

 four thousand pounds, I believe; but I really don't know. 

 However, this fortune of my poor sister's is old Radford's ob- 

 ject; and he and my father have settled it between them, that 

 the son of the one should marry the daughter of the other. 

 What possesses my father, I cannot divine; for he must con- 

 demn old Radford, and despise the young one; but certain it 

 is that he has pressed Edith, nearly to cruelty, to give her 

 hand to a man she scorns and hates, and presses her still. It 

 would be worse than it is, I fear, were it not for young Rad- 

 ford himself, who is not half so eager as his father, and does 

 not wish to hurry matters on. I may have some small share 

 in the business," she continued, laughing again, but colouring 

 at the same time; " for, to tell the truth, Sir Edward, having 

 nothing else to do, and wishing to relieve poor Edith as much 



