THE SMUGGLER. 345 



11 1 know not your father as well as you do, my dear Miss 

 Croyland,'' said her companion, at length, as he marked these 

 emotions; "arid therefore I cannot tell what might be his con- 

 duct under particular circumstances." Zara suddenly raised 

 her eyes, and fixed them on his face; but Digby continued. 

 " I do not speak of the past, but of the future. I take it for 

 granted, not alone as a courtesy, but from all I have seen, 

 that Sir Robert Ooyland cannot have committed any act that 

 could justly render him liable to danger from the law." 



"Thank you; thank you!'' said Zara, dropping her eyes 

 again; "you judge rightly, I am sure." 



" But at the same time," he proceeded, "it is clear that 

 some unfortunate concurrence of circumstances has placed him 

 either really, or in imagination, in Mr. Radford's power. 

 Now, would he but act a bold and decided part, dare the 

 worst, discountenance a bad man and a villain ; even, if neces- 

 sary, in his magisterial capacity, treat him as he deserves, he 

 would take away the sting from his malice. Any accusation 

 this man might bring would have enmity too strongly written 

 upon it, to carry much weight; and all the evidence in favour 

 of your father would have double force.'' 



"He cannot; he will not,' 7 answered fara, sadly, "unless 

 he be actually driven. I know no more than you, Sir Ed- 

 ward, how all this has happened; but I know my father, and 

 I know that he shrinks from disgrace more than death. An 

 accusation, a public trial, would kill him by the worst and 

 most terrible kind of torture. Mr. Radford, too, has wound 

 the toils around him completely; that I can see. He could 

 say that Sir Robert Croyland has acted contrary to all his own 

 principles, at his request; and he could point to the cause. 

 He could say that Sir Robert Croyland suddenly became, and 

 has been for years, the most intimate friend and companion of a 

 man he scorned and avoided; and he could assert that it was 

 because the proud man was in the cunning man's power. If, 

 for vengeance, he chooses to avow his own disgrace; (and 

 what is there Mr. R idford would not avow to serve his ends ?) 

 believe me, he has my father in a net, from which it will be 

 difficult to disentangle him." 



They both fell into thought again; but Zara did not sink, in 

 Digby's estimation, from the clear and firm view which she 

 took of her father's position. 



