impression that she
wished to produce upon him.

'Smuggling is carried on here by some of the people,' she said in a
gentle, apologetic voice. 'It has been their practice for generations,
and they think it no harm. Now, will you roll out one of the tubs?'

'What to do with it?' said the minister.

'To draw a little from it to cure your cold,' she answered. 'It is so
'nation strong that it drives away that sort of thing in a jiffy. O, it
is all right about our taking it. I may have what I like; the owner of
the tubs says so. I ought to have had some in the house, and then I
shouldn't ha' been put to this trouble; but I drink none myself, and so I
often forget to keep it indoors.'

'You are allowed to help yourself, I suppose, that you may not inform
where their hiding-place is?'

'Well, no; not that particularly; but I may take any if I want it. So
help yourself.'

'I will, to oblige you, since you have a right to it,' murmured the
minister; and though he was not quite satisfied with his part in the
performance, he rolled one of the 'tubs' out from the corner into the
middle of the tower floor. 'How do you wish me to get it out--with a
gimlet, I suppose?'

'No, I'll show you,' said his interesting companion; and she held up with
her other hand a shoemaker's awl and a hammer. 'You must never do these
things with a gimlet, because the wood-dust gets in; and when the buyers
pour out the brandy that would tell them that the tub had been broached.
An awl makes no dust, and the hole nearly closes up again. Now tap one
of the hoops forward.'

Stockdale took the hammer and did so.

'Now make the hole in the part that was covered by the hoop.'

He made the hole as directed. 'It won't run out,' he said.

'O yes it will,' said she. 'Take the tub between your knees, and squeeze
the heads; and I'll hold the cup.'

Stockdale obeyed; and the pressure taking effect upon the tub, which
seemed, to be thin, the spirit spirted out in a stream. When the cup was
full he ceased pressing, and the flow immediately stopped. 'Now we must
fill up the keg with water,' said Lizzy, 'or it will cluck like forty
hens when it is handled, and show that 'tis not full.'

'But they tell you you may take it?'

'Yes, the smugglers: but the buyers must not know that the smugglers have
been kind to me at their expense.'

'I see,' said Stockdale doubtfully. 'I much question the honesty of this
proceeding.'

By her direction he