142 THE SMUGGLER. 



He added an oath, and then flung out of the room, passing 

 through the crowd of officers and others, in his way towards 

 the door, without waiting for his father, who had risen with 

 the rest of the magistrates, and was preparing to depart. 



Sir Robert Croyland and Mr. Radford descended the stairs 

 of the inn together ; and at the bottom Mr. Radford shook the 

 baronet heartily by the hand, saying, loud enough to be heard 

 by everybody, "That was admirably well done, Sir Robert! 

 Many thanks; many thanks." 



"None to me, my dear sir," answered Sir Robert Croyland. 

 "It was but simple justice;" and lie turned away to mount his 

 horse. 



"Very pretty justice, indeed!" said Mowle, in a low voice, 

 to the sergeant of dragoons; "but I can't help fancying there's 

 something more under this than meets the eye. Mr. Radford 

 isn't a gentleman who usually laughs at these matters so 

 lightly. But if he thinks to cheat me, perhaps he may find 

 himself mistaken." 



In the mean time the baronet hastened homewards, putting 

 his horse into a quick pace, and taking the nearest roads 

 through the woods, which were then somewhat thickly scat- 

 tered over that part of Kent. He had no servant with him; 

 and when at about two miles from his own house, he passed 

 through a wild and desolate part of the country, near what is 

 now called Chequer Tree, he looked on before and around him 

 on every side, somewhat anxiously, as if he did not much ad- 

 mire the aspect of the place. He pushed on, however, en- 

 tered the wood, and rode rapidly down into a deep dell, which 

 may still be seen in that neighbourhood, though its wild and 

 gloomy character is now almost altogether lost. At that time, 

 tall trees grew up round it on either hand, leaving, in the 

 hollow, a little patch of about half an acre, filled with long 

 grass and some stunted willows, while the head of a stream 

 bubbling up in their shade, poured on its clear waters through 

 a fringe of sedges and rushes towards some larger river. 



The sun had yet an hour or two to run before his setting ; 

 but it was only at noon of a summer's day that his rays ever 

 penetrated into that gloomy and secluded spot; and towards 

 the evening it had a chilly and desolate aspect, which made 

 one feel as if it were a place debarred for ever of the bright 

 light of day. The green tints of spring, or the warmer brown 



