THE SMUGGLER. 301 



" Mr. Warde is up stairs, sir," said the servant; "he has 

 been waiting about half an hour." 



Bat Layton turned to the officer, asking, " What is it, 

 Captain Irby?" 



" Two or three of the men, sir, who have been taken," re- 

 plied Captain Irby, " have expressed a wish to make a state- 

 ment. One of them is badly wounded, too; but I did not 

 know how to act till you arrived, as we had no magistrate 

 here." 



"Was it quite voluntary?" demanded the young officer; 

 "no inducements held out: no questions asked?" 



"Quite voluntary, sir," answered the other. "They sent 

 to ask for you ; and when I went, in your absence, they told 

 me what it was they desired ; but I refused to take the depo- 

 sition till you arrived, for fear of getting myself into a scrape." 



"It must be taken," replied the colonel. "Of whatever 

 value it may be judged hereafter, we must not refuse it when 

 offered. I will come to them in a moment, Irby;" and enter- 

 ing the house, but without going up stairs, he wrote a few 

 lines, in the bar, to Sir Edward Digby, requesting to see him 

 without delay. Then, calling his servant, he said, " Tell Mr. 

 Warde I will be with him in a few minutes; after which, 

 mount your horse, and carry this note over to Harbourne 

 House, to Sir Edward Digby. Give it into his own hand; but 

 remember, it is my wish that you should not mention my name 

 there at all. Do you know the place?" 



"Yes, sir," replied the man; and, leaving him to fulfil his 

 errand, the colonel returned to the door of the house to accom- 

 pany Captain Irby. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



WE must now return for a time to Harbourne House, where, 

 after Sir Robert Croyland's departure, his guest had endea- 

 voured in vain, during the whole morning, to obtain a few 

 minutes' private conversation with the baronet's youngest 

 daughter. Now, it was not in the least degree, that Mrs. 

 Barbara's notions of propriety interfered to prevent the tvvo 

 young people from being alone together; for, on the contrary, 



