322 THE SMUGGLER. 



About eight o'clock at night Harding returned, still irritable 

 and discontented, having failed to find Mr. Radford. The ac- 

 count, however, which the widow gave of her conversation 

 with that gentleman, soothed him a good deal; but he would 

 not stay the night, as he had done before, saying that he must 

 absolutely be at home as soon as possible, and would return, 

 perhaps, the next day, or, at all events, the day after. 



" I must do the best I can, Mrs. Clare," he continued, " to 

 help these fellows out of the scrape they've run into. Two or 

 three of them are good men enough; and, as they risk their 

 necks if they are taken, I should like to get them down, and 

 give them a passage to the other side. So you see I shall be 

 going about here a good deal for the next four or five days, 

 and will look in, from time to time, to see you and my dear 

 little Kate." 



44 But are you going to walk all the way back to-night, 

 John?" asked Kate, as he rose to depart. 



"No, my love," he answered; "I've got a horse up at 

 Plurendon ; but the beast cast a shoe as I was coming, and I 

 was obliged to leave him at the blacksmith's." 



No sooner was Harding gone, than a little kindly contest 

 rose between mother and daughter, as to which should go 

 over to Glassenbury; but Mrs. Clare persisted, against all 

 her child's remonstrances; and, in order that they might rise 

 before daylight, both retired to bed early, and slept calmly 

 and peacefully, unknowing what the morrow, to which they 

 both looked anxiously forward, was to bring. The sun was 

 yet some way below the horizon, when Mrs. Clare set out; 

 but she met with no impediment, and, walking on stoutly, 

 arrived, at an early hour, at a little farm-house, inhabited by 

 her brother. She found farmer Harris and his wife, with 

 their two sons and Mrs. Harris's nephew (three stout, good- 

 humoured, young men) seated at their breakfast; and warm 

 and joyful was the reception of Aunt Clare; one joking her 

 upon Kate's approaching marriage; another declaring Jack 

 Harding, whom they all knew, was a capital fellow ; and all 

 striving to make her comfortable, and pressing her to partake 

 of their morning meal. 



Every one of the party was eager to obtain some informa- 

 tion from her, who lived so much nearer to the spot, in regard 

 to the late discomfiture of the smugglers, although none seemed 



