Torquay. It
was then about two hours before sunset. As soon as the sails were
furled, one or two gentlemen, who resided there, came on board to pay
their respects to Lord B.; and, as Pickersgill had found out from
Cecilia that her father was acquainted with no one there, he received
them in person; asked them down in the cabin; called for wine; and
desired them to send their boat away, as his own was going on shore. The
smugglers took great care, that the steward, cook, and lady's maid,
should have no communication with the guests; one of them, by Corbett's
direction, being a sentinel over each individual. The gentlemen remained
about half-an-hour on board, during which Corbett and the smugglers had
filled the portmanteaus found in the cabin with the lace, and they were
put in the boat. Corbett then landed the gentlemen in the same boat, and
went up to the hotel, the smugglers following him with the portmanteaus,
without any suspicion or interruption. As soon as he was there, he
ordered post-horses, and set off for a town close by, where he had
correspondents; and thus the major part of the cargo was secured.
Corbett then returned in the night, bringing with him people to receive
the goods; and the smugglers landed the silks, teas, &c., with the same
good fortune. Everything was out of the yacht except a portion of the
lace, which the portmanteaus would not hold. Pickersgill might easily
have sent this on shore; but, to please Mrs Lascelles, he arranged
otherwise.

The next morning, about an hour after breakfast was finished, Mrs
Lascelles entered the cabin pretending to be in the greatest
consternation, and fell on the sofa as if she were going to faint.

"Good heavens! what is the matter?" exclaimed Cecilia, who knew very
well what was coming.

"Oh, the wretch! he has made such proposals!"

"Proposals! what proposals? what! Lord Blaney?" cried Miss Ossulton.

"Oh, he's no lord! he's a villain and a smuggler! and he insists that we
shall both fill our pockets full of lace, and go on shore with him."

"Mercy on me! Then it is no hoax after all; and I've been sitting down
to dinner with a smuggler!"

"Sitting down, madam!--if it were to be no more than that--but we are to
take his arm up to the hotel. Oh, dear! Cecilia, I am ordered on deck,
pray come with me!"

Miss Ossulton rolled on the sofa, and rang for Phoebe; she was in a
state of great alarm.

A knock at the door.

"Come in," said Miss Ossulton, thin