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--and had I thrown him, and all his crew into the sea, I should have
been justified, for it was in short, an act of piracy on their part.
Now, as your father has thought to turn a yacht into a revenue cutter,
you cannot be surprised at my retaliating, in turning her into a
smuggler; and as he has mixed up looking after the revenue with
yachting, he cannot be surprised if I retaliate, by mixing up a little
yachting with smuggling. I have dressed your male companions as
smugglers, and have sent them in the smuggling vessel to Cherbourg,
where they will be safely landed; and I have dressed myself, and the
only person whom I could join with me in this frolic, as gentlemen, in
their places. My object is twofold: one is, to land my cargo, which I
have now on board, and which is very valuable; the other is, to
retaliate upon your father and his companions, for their attempt upon
me, by stepping into thei