with his subject in that character. In fact the young stranger had been
too much interested by _some_ of the books[1] furnished from Sir
Morgan's library to have leisure for such serious thoughts. But a thing
or a person, that is of no use in one function, may do excellent
service in another: and the Reverend Mr. Williams, who had failed in
his spiritual mission, was turned to good worldly account by Bertram as
a gossiper and a mine of information upon all questions which had
arisen to excite his curiosity in the course of his recent adventures.

The case of poor Mrs. Godber, his aged hostess in Anglesea, was easily
explained.

Four and twenty years ago her eldest son, at that time about seventeen
years old, had participated in some smuggling transaction during which
two revenue officers had been killed under circumstances which the law
adjudged to be murder. Nobody suspected young Godber of having (in the
English sense of the word) assisted in this murder, foreseen it, or
approved it: but in the French sense he _did_ 'assist:' that is, he was
present: and therefore in the eye of the law an accessary. As such, he
was put upon his trial--found guilty--and sentenced to death.
Unfortunately at this time the outrages of the smugglers upon the coast
of Wales had become so frequent and terrific, that it was judged
necessary to make an example. The case came before the Privy Council:
the opinion of Sir Morgan Walladmor, as lord lieutenant of the two
counties chiefly infested by the smugglers, naturally weighed a good
deal with the council: and this opinion was unfavorable to the poor
young criminal.

"But in later years," said Mr. Williams, "and when Sir Morgan had come
to think very differently on some parts of that unhappy affair, I have
often heard him protest with earnestness that in giving the opinion he
did at the council hoard he was simply reporting the universal judgment
of the magistracy throughout the maritime counties of North Wales.
This, Mr. Bertram, I am sure was true. But that was known to few; and
Sir Morgan from his high station drew the whole blame upon himself: and
perhaps in one view not unjustly. For, though he was not single in the
opinion which decided the case against the poor boy, it was generally
believed that his single voice on the other side the question would
have outweighed all opposition, and have obtained the mercy of the
crown. So at least the poor boy's mother thought: and she addressed
h