sleep, with outstretched legs, long before the young
sailor closed his eyes.

Nothing occurred during the night to disturb the household.

The dragoons had started at daybreak to scour the country, but did not
succeed in capturing a single smuggler. They had discovered, however,
in a cottage, a man dying from a gun-shot wound, and from the
description given of him, Harry had little doubt that he was young
Gaffin.

May appeared at breakfast, looking as bright and fresh as ever. As soon
as the meal was over, Harry and Mr Shallard, assured that the ladies
were in no further danger, were on the point of setting out for Texford,
when Adam and Dame Halliburt arrived.

After the dame had expressed her joy at seeing May and the ladies safe,
Adam described to Harry and Mr Shallard the events which had occurred
on the previous evening, and gave them the information he had obtained
from the dying man. May listened with breathless eagerness. Was indeed
the secret of her birth to be at length disclosed? The heiress of
Texford! That seemed impossible. It must have been a fancy of the
dying smuggler. She might, indeed, be proved to belong to a noble
family, and Sir Ralph's objections to her might be removed; or, on the
other hand, her birth might be such, that still greater obstacles might
arise, or the proofs, had they existed, might have been removed. Fears
and hopes alternately gaining the mastery, she in vain endeavoured to
calm her agitation. Miss Mary stood holding her hand, her sightless
eyes turned towards the speakers, listening to all that was said; while
Miss Jane every now and then threw in a word, gave her advice, or
cross-questioned Adam with an acuteness which won the lawyer's
admiration.

As they were still speaking, a dense wreath of smoke, with flickering
points of flame rising beneath it, was seen in the direction of the
cliff.

"The mill has been set on fire," exclaimed Mr Shallard. "Men ought to
have been stationed to guard it. We may yet be in time to save the
chest. Not a moment, however, must be lost."

The gardener having been despatched with an order to the fencibles to
hasten to the mill, the lawyer, with Harry and Adam, set out in the same
direction.

"Oh, Harry, do not run any risk in searching for the chest; far rather
would I let the secret be lost," exclaimed May, as Harry sprang down the
steps to overtake Mr Shallard and the fisherman.

They met the fencibles on their way to th