120 THE SMUGGLER. 



same moment Mrs. Barbara thought fit to reprove her niece, 

 wondering how she could talk so sillily ; and Sir Edward took 

 his leave, receiving his host's excuses, as he passed through 

 the hall, for not accompanying him on his shooting expedition. 



" The truth is, rny dear sir," said Sir Robert Croyland, 

 " that I am now too old and too heavy for such sports." 



" You were kind enough to tell me^ this is Liberty Hall," 

 replied the young baronet, "and you shall see, my dear sir, 

 that I take you at your word, both in regard to your game 

 and your wine, being resolved, with your good permission, 

 and for my own health, to kill your birds and spare your 

 bottles." 



" Certainly, certainly," answered the master of the man- 

 sion, "you shall do exactly as you like;" and with this 

 license, Sir Edward set out shooting, with tolerable success, 

 till towards two o'clock, when, quite contrary to the advice and 

 opinion of the gamekeepers, who declared that the dogs would 

 have the wind with them in that direction, and that as the 

 day was now hot, the birds would not lie a minute, he directed 

 his course towards ; the back of Harbourne Wood, finding, it 

 must be confessed, but very little sport. There, apparently 

 fatigued and disgusted with walking for a mile or two without 

 a shot, he gave his gun to one of the men, and bade him take 

 it back to the house, saying he would follow speedily. As 

 soon as he had seen them depart, he tracked round the edge 

 of the wood towards Mrs. Clare's cottage, exactly opposite 

 to which he found his trusty servant provided as he had di- 

 rected. 



Sir Edward then took the sword and fixed it in his belt, 

 saying, "Now, Somers, you may go!" 



" Certainly, sir," replied the man, touching his hat with a 

 look of hesitation; but he added, a minute after, "you had 

 better let me know where it's to be, sir, in case " 



"Well," rejoined Sir Edward Digby, with a smile, "you 

 are an old soldier and no meddler, Somers; so that I will tell 

 you, 'in case,' that the place is in a straight line between 

 this and Harbourne House. So now, face about to the right, 

 and go back by the other road." 



The man touched his hat again, and walked quickly away, 

 while the young officer turned his steps up the road which he 

 had followed the preceding evening in pursuit of the two Miss 



