3G2 THE SMUGGLER. 



told, and that sufficiently explained her sudden call for his 

 presence. He made no comment at the moment, but replied, 

 " Wait for me here one instant. I will order my horse, and 

 be back directly." 



He was speedily by her side again; and then, taking her 

 hand in his, he said, "I wish I had known this last night. 

 You need not have been afraid of disturbing me, for I was up 

 till nearly one." 



Zara smiled. " You do not know," she answered, " how 

 near I was to your door, with the intention of calling you." 



"And why did you not?" asked Digby eagerly. '-Nay, 

 you must tell me, why you should hesitate when so much was 

 at stake." 



"I can but answer, because my heart failed me," replied 

 Zara. " You know women's hearts are weak foolish things." 



"Nay," said Digby, "you must explain further. Why 

 did your heart fail you? Tell me, Zara. I cannot rest satis- 

 fied unless you tell me." 



" Indeed, there is no time now for explanation," she replied, 

 feeling that her admission had drawn her into more than she 

 had anticipated; "your horse will soon be here; and there is 

 not a moment to lose." 



" There is time enough for those who will," answered Digby, 

 in a serious tone; "you promised me that you would not hesi- 

 tate, whenever necessity required you to apply to me for counsel 

 or aid; you have hesitated, Zara. Could you doubt me, could 

 you be apprehensive, could you suppose that Edward Digby 

 would, in word, deed, or thought, take advantage of your gene- 

 rous confidence?" 



"No, no! oh, no!" answered Zara, warmly, blushing, and 

 trembling at the same time, " I did not, I could not, after all 

 you have done, after all I have seen. No, no; I thought you 

 would think it strange; I thought " 



" Then you supposed I would wrong you in thought!" he 

 replied, with some mortification in his manner; "you do not 

 know me yet." 



"Oh! yes, indeed I do," she answered, feeling that, she was 

 getting further and further into difficulties; and then she added, 

 with one of her sudden bursts of frankness, "I will tell you 

 how it was, candidly and truly. Just as I was at your door, 

 and about to knock, the memory of several things you had 



