y; he is on shore, probably, by this time. Although I took
away his means of assisting to capture us, I left him the means of
gaining the land. It is not every one who would have done that, after
his conduct to us.'

'I begged him not to go,' said Cecilia; 'I told him that it was not
fair, and that he had no quarrel with the smugglers.'

'I thank you even for that,' replied Pickersgill. 'And now, miss--I have
not the pleasure of recollecting his lordship's family name----'

'Ossulton, sir,' said Cecilia, looking at Pickersgill with surprise.

'Then, with your permission, Miss Ossulton, I will now make you my
confidant: excuse my using so free a term, but it is because I wish to
relieve your fears. At the same time, I cannot permit you to divulge all
my intentions to the whole party on board. I feel that I may trust you,
for you have courage, and where there is courage there generally is
truth; but you must first tell me whether you will condescend to accept
these terms.'

Cecilia demurred a moment; the idea of being the confidant of a smuggler
rather startled her: but still, her knowledge of what his intentions
were, if she might not reveal them, might be important; as, perhaps, she
might dissuade him. She could be in no worse position than she was now,
and she might be in a much better. The conduct of Pickersgill had been
such, up to the present, as to inspire confidence; and, although he
defied the laws, he appeared to regard the courtesies of life. Cecilia
was a courageous girl, and at length she replied--

'Provided what you desire me to keep secret will not be injurious to any
one, or compromise me in my peculiar situation, I consent.'

'I would not hurt a fly, Miss Ossulton, but in self-defence; and I have
too much respect for you, from your conduct during our short meeting, to
compromise you. Allow me now to be very candid; and then, perhaps, you
will acknowledge that in my situation others would do the same, and,
perhaps, not show half so much forbearance. Your father, without any
right whatever, interferes with me and my calling: he attempts to make
me a prisoner, to have me thrown in jail, heavily fined, and, perhaps,
sent out of the country. I will not enter into any defence of smuggling:
it is sufficient to say that there are pains and penalties attached to
the infraction of certain laws, and that I choose to risk them. But Lord
B. was not empowered by Government to attack me; it was a gratuitous
act;