THE SMUG G LEU. 353 



horses myself, to la} 7 certain important facts, which we both 

 know of, before a brother magistrate." 



He paused, and Sir Robert Croyland winced. But still in- 

 dignation was uppermost for the time; and rapidly as lightning 

 the thoughts of resistance passed through his mind. " This 

 man's conduct is too bad," he said to himself. " After such 

 a daring act as this, with his character blackened by so many 

 stains, and so clear a case of revenge, the magistrates will 

 surely hardly listen to him." But as he continued to reflect, 

 timidity, the habitual timidity of many years, began to mingle 

 with and dilute his resolution; and Mr. Radford, who knew 

 him to the very heart, after having- suffered him to reflect just 

 long enough to shake his firmness, went on in a somewhat dif- 

 ferent tone, saying, " Come, Sir Robert! don't be unreasonable; 

 and before you quarrel irretrievably with an old friend, listen 

 quietly to what he has got to say. 5 ' 



" Well, sir, well," said Sir Robert Groyland, casting him- 

 self into a chair, " what is it you have got to say?" 



" Why, simply this, my dear friend," answered Mr. Rad- 

 ford ; " that you are riot aware of all the circumstances, and 

 therefore cannot judge yet whether I have acted right or 

 wrong. You and I have decided, I think, that there can no 

 longer be any delay in the arrangement of our affairs. I put 

 it plainly to you yesterday, that it was to be now or never; 

 and you agreed that it should be now. You brought me your 

 daughter's consent in the afternoon; and so far the matter was 

 settled. I don't want to injure you; and if you are injured, 

 it is your own fault " 



"But I gave no consent, 5 ' said Sir Robert Croyland, "that 

 she should be taken to your house. The circumstances, the 

 circumstances, Mr. Radford I" 



" Presently, presently," replied his companion. " I take 

 it for granted, that, when you have pledged yourself to a thing, 

 you are anxious to accomplish it. Now I tell you, there was 

 no sure way of accomplishing this, but that which I have 

 taken. Do you know who is the commander of this dragoon 

 regiment which is down here? No: but I do. Do you know 

 who is the man, who, like a sub-officer of the customs, at- 

 tacked our friends yesterday morning, took some fifty of them 

 prisoners, robbed me of some seventy thousand pounds, and is 

 now hunting after my sou, as if he were a fox? No: but I do; 



