THE SMUGGLER. 1 1 1 



and put in prison, which broke his heart, poor man, and he 

 died!" 



Harding gave Sir Robert Cropland a hearty oath, and Mrs. 

 Clare proceeded to tell her tale, saying: "I did not give much 

 heed to the matter then; for it was just at that time that my 

 husband was killed, and I could think of nothing else; but 

 when I came to hear of what was going on, I found that Sir 

 Robert had promised his daughter to this young Radford " 



" As nasty a vermin as ever lived, 5 ' said Harding. 



" Well, she won't have him, I'm sure," continued the wi- 

 dow, "for it has been hanging off and on for these six years. 

 People at first said it was because they were too young. But 

 I know that she has always refused, and declared that nothing 

 should ever drive her to marry him, or any one else: for the 

 law might say what it liked, but her own heart and her own 

 conscience told her that she was Harry Layton's wife, and 

 could not be any other man's, as long as he was living. Su- 

 san, her maid, heard her say so to Sir Robert himself; but he 

 still keeps teasing her about it, and tells everybody she's en- 

 gaged to young Radford." 



" He'll go to the devil," said Harding; "and I'll go to 

 bed, Mrs. Clare, for I must be up early to-morrow, to get a 

 good many things to rights. God bless you, Kate, my love I 

 I dare say I shall see you before I go ; for I must measure the 

 dear little finger 1" And giving her a hearty kiss, Harding 

 took a candle, and retired to the snug room that had been pre- 

 pared for him. 



CHAPTER XL 



WE must change the scene for a while, not only to another 

 part of the county of Kent, but to very different people from 

 the worthy widow Clare and the little party assembled at her 

 cottage. We must pass over the events of the night also, 

 and of the following morning up to the hour of nine, proposing 

 shortly to return to Harbourne House, and trace the course 

 of those assembled there. The dwelling into which we must 

 now introduce the reader, was a large, old-fashioned Kentish 

 farm-house, not many miles on the Sussex side of Ashford. 

 It was built, as many of these farm-houses still are, in the 



