THE SMUGGLER. 439 



mansion. One or two, indeed, were wanting, even of the 

 party which might have been expected there, but their ab- 

 sence shall be accounted for hereafter. The baronet himself 

 was seated in the arm-chair, which he generally occupied 

 more as a mark of his state and dignity, than for comfort and 

 convenience. In the present instance, however, he seemed to 

 need support, for he leaned heavily upon the arm of the chair, 

 and appeared languid and feeble. His face was very pale, his 

 lips somewhat livid ; and yet, though suffering evidently under 

 considerable corporeal debility, there was a look of mental 

 relief in his eyes, and a sweet placidity about his smile, that no 

 one had seen on his countenance for many years. 



Mrs. Barbara was, as usual, seated at her everlasting em- 

 broidery; and here we may as well mention a fact which we 

 omitted to mention before, but which some persons may look 

 upon as indicative of her mental character; namely, that the 

 embroidery, though it had gone on all her life, by no means 

 proceeded in an even course of progression. On the contrary, 

 to inexperienced eyes, it seemed as if no sooner was a stitch 

 put in than it was drawn out again; the point of the needle 

 being gently thrust under the loop of the thread, and then the 

 arm extended with an even sweep, so as to withdraw the silk 

 from its hole in the canvass. Penelope's web was nothing to 

 Mrs. Barbara Croyland's embroidery: for the queen of Ithaca 

 only undid what she had previously done, every night; and 

 Aunt Bab undid it every minute. On the present occasion, 

 she was more busy in the retroactive process than ever, not 

 only pulling out the silk she had just put in, but a great deal 

 more ; so that the work of the last three days, was in immi- 

 nent danger of total destruction. 



Mr. Zachary Croyland never sat down when he could stand ; 

 for there was about him, a sort of mobility and activity of 

 spirits, which always inclined him to keep his body ready for 

 action. He so well knew that, when seated, he was inces- 

 santly inclined to start up again, that probably he thought it 

 of little use to sit down at all; and consequently he was even 

 now upon his feet, midway between his brother and his sister, 

 rubbing his hands, and giving a gay, but cynical glance from 

 one to the other. 



In a chair near the window, with his wild, but fine eye 

 gazing over the pleasant prospect which the terrace com- 



