ite
gate above high-water mark, to order out the fire, because they was all
his own cottages. But while he was going about, as he doth for fear of
being hard upon any one, out jumps Squire Carne, from the thickest of
the blazes, and takes the poor Squire by the forepart of his neck, which
he liketh to keep open when he getteth off of duty, and away with him
into the burning fiery furnace made of his own houses! That was more
than I could put up with, even under the Hangel, and I give such a kick
that Kezia, though she saith she is the most quietest of women, felt
herself a forced to bounce me up."

"A dream of that sort deserves notice," answered Erle, who had passed
many months among sailors; "and over and above that, I see proofs of
a foolish security in England, and of sharp activity in France. Last
Monday I was only five miles from Boulogne, on board of our frigate
the Melpomene, for I wanted the captain's evidence to help me in my
own affairs; and upon my word I was quite amazed at the massing of the
French forces there, and the evident readiness of their hundreds of
troop-ships. Scores of them even had horses on board, for I saw them
quite clearly with a spy-glass. But the officers only laughed at me, and
said they were tired of seeing that. And another thing I don't like
at all is the landing of a French boat this side of Pebbleridge. I was
coming home after dark one night, and as soon as they saw me they pushed
off, and pretended to be English fishermen; but if ever I saw Frenchmen,
these were French; and I believe they had a ship not far away, for I saw
a light shown and then turned off. I examined the place in the morning,
and saw the footprints of men on a path up the cliff, as if they had
gone inland towards Carne Castle. When the Admiral came home, I told him
of it; but he seemed to think it was only some smuggling."

"Ah, there's smooglin' of a bad kind over there, to my belief. I
wouldn't tell your honour not a quarter what I thinks, because of the
young gentleman being near akin to you. But a thing or two have come to
my ears, very much again a young squire over that way. A man as will do
what he have done is a black one in some ways; and if some, why not in
all?"

"Tell me what you mean," said Twemlow, sternly. "After saying so much,
you are bound to say more. Caryl Carne is no friend of mine, although he
is my cousin. I dislike the man, though I know but little of him."

"For sartin then a kind gen