nswer. It was something entirely new to him
that there was anything wrong in smuggling. He regarded it as a mere
contest of wits between the coast-guard and the fishermen, and had taken a
keen pleasure in outwitting the former.

"But there is no harm in smuggling, Miss Warden. Almost everyone takes
part in it, and the farmers round all send their carts in when a run is
expected."

"But it is very wrong, William, and the fact that so many people are ready
to aid in it is no evidence in its favour. People band together to cheat
the King's Revenue, and thereby bring additional taxation upon those who
deal fairly. It is as much robbery to avoid the excise duties as it is to
carry off property from a house, and it has been a great grief to my
father that his parishioners, otherwise honest and God-fearing people,
should take part in such doings, as is evidenced by the fact that so many
of them were involved in the fray last week. He only abstains from
denouncing it in the pulpit because he fears that he might thereby lose
the affection of the people and impair his power of doing good in other
respects."

"I never thought of it in that way, miss," the lad said seriously.

"Just think in your own case, William: suppose you were caught and sent
off to sea; there would be an end of the work you have been doing. You
would be mixed up with rough sailors, and, after being away on a long
voyage, you would forget all that you have learnt, and would be as rough
as themselves. This would be a poor ending indeed to all the pains I have
taken with you, and all the labour you have yourself expended in trying to
improve yourself. It would be a great grief to me, I can assure you, and a
cruel disappointment, to know that my hopes for you had all come to
naught."

"They sha'n't, Miss Warden," the boy said firmly. "I know it will be hard
for me to draw back, but, if necessary, I will leave the village now that
you are going to be married. If you had been going to stay I would have
stopped too, but the village will not be like itself to me after you have
left."

"I am glad to think you mean that. I have remained here as long as I could
be of use to you, for though I have taught you as much as I could in all
branches of education that would be likely to be useful to you, have lent
you my father's books, and pushed you forward till I could no longer lead
the way, there are still, of course, many things for you to learn. You
have got a fair