244 THE SMUGGLED. 



met Mr. Croyland's view. Advancing with a frank and 

 pleasant smile, he led him to the arm-chair which he had just 

 occupied, it was the only one in the room, and, after thanking 

 him for his visit, turned to the servant, and bade him shut 

 the door. 



" I am in some surprise, and in some doubt, Sir Henry,' 1 

 said Mr. Croyland, with his sharp eyes twinkling a little. " I 

 came here to see one Captain Osborn, and I find a gentleman 

 very like him in truth, but certainly a much smarter looking 

 person, whom I am told is Lieutenant- Colonel Sir Henry 

 Layton, Knight of the Bath, &c. &c. &c. ; and yet he seems to 

 look upon old Zachary Croyland as a friend, too." 



" He does, from his heart, I can assure you, Mr. Croyland," 

 replied the young officer; "and I trust you will ever permit 

 him to do so. But if it becomes us to deceive no man, it 

 becomes us still more not to deceive a friend; and on that 

 account it was I asked your presence here, to explain to you 

 one or two circumstances which I thought it but just you 

 should know, before I ventured to present myself at your 

 house." 



"Pray speak, Sir Henry," replied Mr. Croyland; "I am 

 all ears/' 



The young officer paused for a moment, and a shadow came 

 over his brow, as if something painful passed through his mind ; 

 but then, with a slight motion of his hand, as if he would 

 have waved away unpleasant thoughts, he said, " I must first 

 tell you, my dear sir, that I am the son of the Reverend 

 Henry Layton, whom you once knew, and the nephew of that 

 Charles Osborn, with whom you were also intimately ac- 

 quainted." 



"The dearest friend I ever had in the world," replied Mr. 

 Croyland, blowing his nose violently. 



" Then I trust you will extend the same friendship to his 

 nephew," said the colonel. 



"I don't know, I don't know," answered Mr. Croyland; 

 " that must depend upon circumstances. I'm a very crabbed, 

 tiresome old fellow, Sir Henry; and my friendships are not 

 very sudden ones. But I have patted your head many a time 

 when you were a child, and that's something. Then you are 

 very like your father, and a little like your uncle, that's some- 

 thing more ; so we may get on, I think, But what have you 



