178 THE SMUGGLER. 



"Ay, but you shan't hear all," answered Galley Ray. 

 " Let Dick do his part, and I'll do mine, so we'll both have 

 our revenge; but I know one thing, if I were a gentleman, 

 and wanted a twist at Jack Harding, I'd get his Kate away 

 from him. She's a light-hearted lass, and would listen to a 

 gentleman, I dare say; but, however, I'll have her away some 

 way, and then kick her out into Folkestone streets, to get her 

 bread like many a better woman than herself." 



"Pooh! nonsense 1" said Ned Ramley, "that's all stuff. 

 Harding is going to marry her, and she knows better than tc 

 play the fool." 



"Ay," answered the old woman, with a look of spite, "I 

 shouldn't wonder if Harding spoiled this job for old Radford, too.'' 



"Not hel" cried Ramley, "he would pinch himself there, 

 old tiger; for his own pay depends upon it." 



"Ay, upon landing the stuff safely,'' answered the old wo- 

 man, with a grin, " but not upon getting it clear up into the 

 Weald. He may have both, Neddy, my dear; he may have 

 both pays; first for landing and then for peaching. Play 

 booty for ever! that's the way to make money; and who 

 knows but you may get another crack of your own pretty skull, 

 or have your brains sent flying out, like the inside of an egg 

 against the pillory." 



"P>y the fiend, he had better not!" said Ned Ramley, "for 

 there will be some of us left, at all events, to pay him." 



" Come, speak out, old woman," cried another of the men ; 

 " have you or your imp there got any inkling that the custom- 

 house blackguards have nosed the job? If we find they have, 

 and you don't tell, I'll send you into as much thick loam as 

 will cover you well, I can tell you ;" and he added a horrible 

 oath to give force to his words. 



" Not they, as yet," answered the beldam, " of that I am 

 quite sure; for as soon as the guinea and the message came, I 

 went down to buy the beef, and mutton, and the onions ; and 

 there I saw Mowle talking to Gurney the grocer, and heard 

 him say that he had spoiled Mr. Radford 's venture this morn- 

 ing, for one turn at least; and after that, I sent down Little 

 Nighty there, to watch him and his cronies ; and they all seemed 

 very jolly, he said, when he came back half an hour ago, and 

 crowing like so many young cocks, as if they had done a mighty 

 deal. Didn't they, my dear?" 



