THE SMUGGLER. 1 87 



companion; an angel: a demi-god. But you shall see; you 

 shall see; and in the true spirit of a fond parent, if you do 

 riot see with my eyes, hear with my ears, and understand 

 with my understanding; why, I'll disinherit you. But who 

 the mischief is this, now?" he continued, looking out at the 

 door; "another man on horseback, upon my life, as if we had 

 not had enough of them already. Never, since I have been 

 in this county of Kent, has my poor, quiet, peaceable door 

 been besieged in this manner before." 



"It's only a servant with a note, my dear uncle," said 

 Edith. 



"Ah! something more on your account," cried Mr. Croy- 

 land. "It's all because you are here. Baba, Baba! see 

 what that fellow wants! It's not your promised husband, my 

 dear, so you need not eye him so curiously. 5 ' 



" Oh! no," answered Edith, smiling. "I took it for granted 

 that my promised husband, as you call him, was to be this 

 same odd, strange-looking gentleman, who has been with you 

 for the last hour." 



"Pooh, no I" cried Mr. Croyland; "and yet, my lady, I 

 can tell you, you could not do better in some respects, for he's 

 a very good man, a very excellent man indeed, and has the 

 advantage of being a lectle mad, as I said before: that is, he's 

 wise enough not to care what fools think of him. That's what 

 is called being mad now-a-days. Who is it from, Baba?" 



"Didn't say, master," answered the Indian, who had just 

 handed him a note. " He wait an answer." 



" Oh! very well," answered Mr. Croyland. " He may get 

 a shorter one than he expects. I've no time to be answering 

 notes. People in England spend one-half of their lives in 

 writing notes that mean nothing, and the other half in sealing 

 them. Why can't the fools send a message?" 



While he had been thus speaking, the worthy old gentle- 

 man had been adjusting the spectacles to his nose, and walking 

 with his usual brisk step to the window in the passage, against 

 which he planted his back, so that the light might fall over his 

 shoulder upon the paper ; but as he read, a great change came 

 over his countenance. 



"Ah! that's right! that's well! that's honest!" he said: 

 " I see what he means, but I'll let him speak out himself. 

 Walk into the garden, Edith, my love, till I answer this man's 



