THE SMUGGLER. 421 



" Take me away," said the prisoner, turning to the con- 

 stable; " I ani faint, I am sick; take me away!" 



Mr. Croyland nodded his head ; and, supported by the con- 

 stable and Birchett, Mr. Radford was led into the adjoining 

 room. 



The scene that followed is indescribable. It was all con- 

 fusion ; every one spoke at once ; some strove to make them- 

 selves heard above the rest ; some seemed little to care whether 

 they were heard or not; if any man thought he could fix 

 another's attention, he tried to converse with him apart ; many 

 fixed upon the person nearest; but one or two endeavoured to 

 make others hear across the room ; and all order and common 

 form were at an end. 



I have said every one spoke; but I should have made one 

 exception. Sir Robert Croyland talked eagerly with his 

 brother, and said a few low words to Mr. Osborn; but Lay ton 

 remained profoundly silent for several minutes. The din of 

 many voices did not seem to disturb him; the strange turn 

 that events had taken, appeared to produce no surprise ; but 

 he remained fixed to the same spot, with his eyes bent upon 

 the table, and his mind evidently absent from all that was 

 passing round. It was the abstraction of profound emotion ; 

 the power which the heart sometimes exercises over the mind, 

 in withdrawing all its perceptions and its operative faculties 

 from external things, to fix them concentrated upon some 

 great problem within. At length, however, a. sense of higher 

 duties made him shake off the thoughts of his own fate and 

 situation; of the bright and glorious hopes that were rising 

 out of the previous darkness, like the splendour of the coming 

 star after a long night ; of the dreams of love and joy at length ; 

 of the growing light of " trust in the future, 5 ' still faintly over- 

 shadowed by the dark objects of the past. With a quick start, 

 as if he had awakened from sleep, he looked round, and de- 

 manded of one of the soldiers, many of whom were in the 

 room, " Have you found the person accused ; Richard Radford, 

 I mean ; has any one been taken in the premises and the house, 

 besides the servants?" 



" Yes, sir, a person just arrived in a post-chaise," replied 

 the sergeant. 



"We must have order, Sir Robert,' 7 continued Lay ton, his 

 powerful voice rising above the din; " there is much more to 



