THE SMUGGLER. 1 35 



than suited the views of Sir Robert Croyland. He therefore 

 raised the question, when the decision of the magistrates was 

 about to be pronounced, whether this was the first or the 

 second offence, affecting some remembrance of the face of one 

 of the men. The officers, also, either really did recollect, or 

 pretended to do so, that the person of whom he spoke .had 

 been convicted before; but the man himself positively denied 

 it, and defied them to bring forward any proof. A long dis- 

 cussion thus commenced, and before it was terminated the 

 baronet was relieved by the appearance of Mr. Radford him- 

 self, who entered booted and spurred, and covered with dust, 

 as if just returned from a long ride. 



Shaking hands with his brother magistrates, and especially 

 with Sir Robert Croyland, he was about to seat himself at the 

 end of that table, when the baronet rose, saying: "Here, Rad- 

 ford, you had better take my place, as I must positively get 

 home directly, having important business to transact." 



" No, no, Sir Robert," replied that respectable magistrate, 

 " we cannot spare you in this case, nor can I take that place. 

 My son, I hear, is charged with taking part in this affair; and 

 some sharp words have been passing between myself and that 

 scoundrel of a fellow called Clinch, the officer, who applied to 

 me for aid in searching the Ramleys' house. When I agreed 

 to go with him, and found out a very snug place for hiding, 

 he was half afraid to go down ; and yet, since then, he has 

 thought fit to insinuate that I had something to do with the 

 run, and did not conduct the search fairly." 



The magistrates looked round to each other and smiled; 

 and Radford himself laughed heartily, very much as if he was 

 acting a part in a farce, without any hope or expectation of 

 passing off his zeal in the affair, upon his fellow magistrates, 

 as genuine. Mowle, the officer, at the same time turned round, 

 and spoke a few words to two men who had followed Mr. 

 Radford into the room, one of whom shrugged his shoulders 

 with a laugh, and said nothing, and the other replied eagerly, 

 but in a low tone. 



Sir Robert Croyland, however, urged the necessity of his 

 going, put his watch in his pocket, and buttoned up his coat. 

 But Mr. Radford, assuming a graver air and a very peculiar 

 tone, replied: "No, no, Sir Robert; you must stay, indeed, 



