420 THE SMUGGLER. 



plied the man, pointing to the letter in which the deposition 

 had been enclosed, and which, having been cast down by Mr* 

 Zachary, had been busily read by the clerk. 



" Well, then, we will read that too," observed the old gen- 

 tleman. " Silence there!" he continued; for there was a good 

 deal of noise at the side of the room, as the different persons 

 present conversed over the events that were passing: "but first 

 we had better docket this commodity which we have just pe- 

 rused. Mr. Clerk, will you have the sroodness to sign it also: 

 on the back?" 



" Stay," said a voice from behind the rest, " let me sign it 

 first;" and the man who accompanied Lay ton thither, wrapped 

 in the dark horseman's coat, advanced between Mr. Croyland 

 and the clerk. 



"Any one that likes, any one that likes!" answered the 

 former. "Ah! is that you, my old friend?" 



Both Mr. Radford and Sir Robert Croyland gazed, with 

 looks of surprise not unmirigled with more painful feelings, on 

 the countenance of Mr. Warde, though each doubted his iden- 

 tity with one whom they had known in former years. But, 

 without noticing any one, the strange-looking old man took 

 the paper from the clerk, dipped the pen in the ink, and, in a 

 bold, free hand, wrote some words upon the back. 



" Ha, what is this?" cried Mr. Croyland, taking the paper, 

 and reading: "An infamous forgery; Henry Osbornl" 



" Villain, you are detected!" cried the person who has been 

 called Mr. Warde. " I wrote from a distant land to warn you, 

 that I was present when you knelt by William Clare ; that I 

 heard all, that I marked you try to prompt the dying man to 

 an accusation he would not make; that I saw you stain the 

 paper with his blood, ay, and sign it, too, after life had quitted 

 him. I wrote to warn you, for I suspected you, for all I 

 heard of your poor tool's changed conduct; and I gave you 

 due notice, that if you ceased not, the day of retribution would 

 arrive. It is come ; and I am here, though you thought me 

 dead! All your shifts and evasions are at an end. There is 

 no collusion here; there is no personal interest. I have not 

 conversed with that weak man for many years ; and he it was 

 who persecuted my sister's husband unto death!" 



" At his suggestion ; from his threats!" exclaimed Sir Robert 

 Croyland, pointing with his hand to Mr, Radford. 



