THE SMUGGLER. 157 



which was moreover encumbered by a heavy sword aud belt, 

 a large pair of thick buckskin gloves, and a brace of heavy 

 silver-mounted pistols. He looked pale and somewhat anxious ; 

 but nevertheless he went on, with his fine head bent, and the 

 light falling from above upon his beautifully cut classical 

 features: sometimes putting down a name, and adding a sum 

 in figures opposite; sometimes, when he came to the bottom 

 of the page, running up the column with rapidity and ease, 

 and then inscribing the sum total at the bottom. 



It was, perhaps, rather an unromantic occupation that the 

 young officer was employed in ; for it was evident that he was 

 making up, with steady perseverance, some rather lengthy 

 accounts ; and all his thoughts seemed occupied with pounds, 

 shillings, and pence. It was not so, indeed, though he wished 

 it to be so; but, if the truth must be spoken, his mind often 

 wandered afar; and his brain seemed to have got into that 

 state of excitement, which caused sounds and circumstances 

 that would at any other time have passed without notice, to 

 trouble him and disturb his ideas on the present occasion. 



There had been a card and punch club in one of the neigh- 

 bouring rooms. The gentlemen had assembled at half-past 

 six or seven, had hung up their wigs upon pegs provided for 

 the purpose, and had made a great deal of noise in coming in 

 and arranging themselves. There was then the brewing of 

 the punch, the lighting of the pipes, and the laughing and 

 jesting to which those important events generally give rise, at 

 the meetings of persons of some importance in a country town ; 

 and then the cards were produced, and a great deal of laugh- 

 ing and talking, as usual, succeeded, in regard to the prelimi- 

 naries, and also respecting the course of the game. 



There had been no slight noise, also, in the lower regions 

 of the inn, much speaking, and apparently some merriment; 

 and, from all these things put together, to say nothing of 

 every now and then, the pleasures of a comic song, given by 

 one of the parties above or below, the young officer had been 

 considerably disturbed, and had been angry with himself for 

 being so. His thoughts, too, would wander, whether he liked 

 it or not. 



"Digby must have seen her,'' he said to himself, "unless 

 she be absent; but surely he must have found some oppor- 

 tunity of speaking with herself or her sister by this time. I 



