, miss, and for that there are the custom houses
and custom officers--which is me--to see his Majesty paid right and
proper his lawful dues. But what does your smuggler do, miss--your
rollicking, dare-devil chap of a smuggler? Why he lands his lace and
his brandy and his 'baccy unbeknownst and sells 'em on the sly--and
pockets the profit! D'ye see?--and so he cheats his Majesty, which is
a very grievous breaking of the law; so much so that he might as well
murder at once--Kind o' treason, you may say--and that's what makes
'em such desperate chaps. They knows if they're caught at it, with
arms about them, and two or three together--it's--clank."

Mr. Hobson grasped his own bull neck with an unpleasantly significant
gesture and winked knowingly at the girl, who turned white as death
and remained gazing at him with a sort of horrified fascination which
he presently noted with an indulgent smile.

"Don't take on now, my lass--no offence, miss--but I can't bear to see
a fine young 'oman like you upset-like--I'm a damned, hem, hem, a real
soft hearted fellow. Your sweetheart's heels have saved his gullet
this time--and though he did crack poor Nat upon the skull (as I can
testify for I as good as saw him do it--which makes it a hanging
matter twice over I won't deny), yet there's a good few such as him
escapes the law and settles down arter, quite respectable-like. A bit
o' smuggling now is a thing many a pretty fellow has taken to in his
day, and has made a pretty penny out of too, and is none the worse
looked to arter, as I said. Aye, and there's many a gentleman and a
magistrate to boot as drinks his glass of smuggled brandy and smokes
his smuggled baccy and finds them none the worse, oh dear no! Human
nature it is and human nature is a queer thing. Even the ladies, miss,
are well-known to be soft upon the smuggled lace: it's twice as cheap
you see as t'other, and they can get double as handsome for the money.
Begging your pardon--if I may make so bold--" stretching out a great,
coarse, tobacco-stained finger and thumb to close them appreciatively
upon the hanging lace of Madeleine's neck handkerchief, "may be your
spark brought you that there, miss, now? He, he, he--as pretty a bit
of French point it is as has ever been my fate to lay hands on--Never
fear," as the girl drew back with a gesture of loathing from the
contact. "I ain't agoing to seize it off you or take you up,
he--he--he--eh, Mr. Landale? I'm a man o' my d