s, however, I
could find no boat in the bay to take me alongside, and as I did not
like to hail and ask them to allow me to pay them a visit, I had to
abandon my design.

My father was busy in his way in carrying out the wishes of the baronet.
He spoke to a number of his parishioners, urging them to assist in
putting a stop to the proceedings of the smugglers, and endeavouring to
impress upon them the nefarious character of their occupation. More
than once he got into the wrong box when addressing some old sea dog,
who would curtly advise him to mind his own business, the man he was
speaking to probably being in league with the smugglers. He said and
did enough indeed to create a considerable amount of odium against
himself. He went so far as one Sunday to preach a sermon in which he
unmistakably alluded to smuggling as one of the sins certain to bring
down condign punishment on those engaged in it.

Sir Reginald Knowsley, who had driven over, as he occasionally did, to
attend the service, waited for my father in the porch, and complimented
him on his sermon. "Excellent, Mr Cheveley, excellent," he exclaimed,
"I like to hear clergymen speak out bravely from the pulpit, and condemn
the sins of the people. If the smugglers persist in carrying on their
nefarious proceedings, they will now do it with their eyes open, and
know that they are breaking the laws of God and man. I was delighted to
hear you broach the subject. I expect some friends in a few days, and I
hope that you will give me the pleasure of your company at dinner. I
have some capital old port just suited to your taste, and I will take
care to draw your attention to it. Good-bye, my dear Mr Cheveley,
good-bye; with your aid I have no doubt smuggling will, in a short time,
be a thing of the past;" and the squire walked with a dignified pace to
his carriage and drove off, not regarding the frowning looks cast at him
by some of his fellow-worshippers.

As I afterwards went through the churchyard I passed several knots of
persons talking together, who were making remarks of a very different
character to those I have spoken of on the sermon they had just heard.
They were at no pains to lower their voices even as they saw me.

"I never seed smuggling in the Ten Commandments, an' don't see it now,"
remarked a sturdy old fisherman, who was looked upon as a very
respectable man in the village. "What has come over our parson to talk
about it is more than I