152 THE SMUGGLER. 



stepping out of the carriage. " The devil himself never in- 

 vented an instrument better fitted to torment the whole human 

 race, than a woman with the best intentions in the world." 



" Why, my dear brother," said Mrs. Barbara, with the look 

 of a martyr, " you know quite well that Robert wishes Mr. 

 Radford to have the opportunity of paying his addresses to 

 Edith, and so I proposed 



" He shan't have the opportunity here, by Vishnoo!" cried 

 the old gentleman. 



"To say the truth/' said Mr. Radford, interposing, "such, 

 was not my object in coming hither to-day. I wished to have 

 the honour of saying a few words to a gentleman I see stand- 

 ing behind you, sir, which was also the motive of my going over 

 to Harbourne House. Otherwise, well knowing your preju- 

 dices, I should not have troubled yon ; for, I can assure you, 

 that your company is not particularly agreeable to me." 



" If mine is what you want, sir," replied Sir Edward Digby, 

 stepping forward and passing Mr. Croyland, "it is very easily 

 obtained ; but as it seems you are not a welcome guest here, 

 perhaps we had better walk along the lane together." 



"A less distance than that will do," answered Richard 

 Radford, throwing the bridle of his horse to one of the ser- 

 vants, and taking two or three steps away from the house. 



"Oh! Zachary, my dear brother, do interfere!" exclaimed 

 Mrs. Barbara. " I forgot they had quarrelled yesterday 

 morning, and unfortunately let out that Sir Edward was here. 

 There will be a duel if you don't stop them." 



"Not I," cried Mr. Croyland, rubbing his hands; "it's a 

 pleasure to see two fools cut each other's throats. I'd lay 

 any wager, if I ever did such a thing as lay wagers at all, that 

 Digby pricks him through the midriff. There's a nice little 

 spot at the end of the garden quite fit for such exercises." 



Mr. Zachary Croyland was merely playing upon his sister's 

 apprehensions, as the best sort of punishment he could inflict 

 for the mischief she had brought about; but he never had the 

 slightest idea that Sir Edward Digby and young Radford 

 would come to anything like extreme measures in his sister's 

 presence, knowing the one to be a gentleman, and mistakenly 

 believing the other to be a coward. The conversation of the 

 two who had walked away was not of long duration: nor, for 

 a time, did it appear very vehement. Mr. Radford said some- 



