She now frequently visited the church-yard to sit by her father's grave, which was built by the side of the cross-stone where she and Ned had last parted. This she had tended with care, as had been proposed by Ned when they last sat together and read the mysterious epitaph, "A lady unknown, aged about twenty-two. Cast up by the sea at Sandy Cove."

Polly Grey had since told her the whole sad story, and her suspicions that the poor lady was Ned's own mother. Edith had planted some myrtles around the spot, and with her pretty white hands she kept the grass closely clipped; and every Sunday she twined a new wreath and hung it upon the cross, for it was on the evening of a Sabbath that she had promised Ned to attend to the lonely grave.

WE

CHAPTER VIII.

E must now return to Paul Grey, who some months since had sailed from Sandy Cove, expecting to return after an absence of a few days, but of whom nothing had been heard.

On the evening that he sailed the wind was northerly, and the Polly quickly lost sight of the English shore; by daybreak on the following morning they could plainly distinguish the coast of France. The Polly now hoisted French colors and stood in for Ushant. As the lugger neared the land a rowing boat was seen to approach from the shore; Paul stood upon the deck, and carefully examined the suspicious object with the telescope.

"It's all right," he at length exclaimed to Dick Stone, who stood at the helm; "keep your course and meet her: it's Dupuis's boat."

The Polly accordingly held her course, and the spray . dashed from her bows as with a brisk breeze on the quarter she flew gayly over the waves toward the advancing boat, that belonged to Paul's French partner in the contraband trade. There had been some slight alteration in the lugger's equipment since we last described her. Around the main-mast by the deck was a rack for muskets and boarding-pikes; an arm-chest, well filled with pistols, muskets, and cutlasses, and rendered water-proof by a thick tarpaulin cover, was securely lashed and cleated in front of the mizzen-mast; while amidships was a long brass six-pounder, fitted upon a traversing carriage upon a pivot, which could

G

be trained upon any point of the horizon. There could be no doubt that the vessel was arranged for a determined defense in the event of attack, as the crew consisted of fifteen men including Paul. These were carefully selected, and a finer set of sailors would rarely be seen; among them was the surly Dick Stone, who had so stubbornly resisted the inquiries of Captain Smart on his visit to the lugger. This man was an extraordinary character: he was devoted to Paul, and to the clipper lugger in which he sailed; he was brave to a fault, and his coolness in the midst of danger was remarkable; he hated the entire nation of Frenchmen, whom he termed "the Mounseers;" next to them he disliked the whole race of revenue authorities. For several years he had served on board a man-of-war; but the varied occupations of smuggling and fishing, with the dangers attendant upon such professions, formed an excitement that was the charm of his existence. He was seldom seen to laugh, neither was he ever in a passion: if any thing disturbed him he invariably turned to his pipe as his counsellor and comforter; a few deep puffs from the ever-present companion would either be followed by perfect silence and contentment, or by some carefully-considered reply.

Dick Stone was at the helm, and, as he had been directed by Paul, he kept a course that would meet the advancing. boat. "Take the tiller for a moment," said he to a sailor who stood by on the farther side; and without moving from his place he took from his pocket a blackened clay pipe about three inches long, at the same time he inserted a plug of tobacco; then, striking a light with a flint and steel and a piece of burned rag, he gave two or three sharp and rapid puffs, that brought a brilliant glow to the mouth of the bowl. He then took a long and steady suck at the never-failing adviser, until his cheeks became quite hollow with the exhaustive effort; this was followed by a dense

cloud of smoke, as though from the explosion of a gun. He rested for a moment, and took the pipe from his mouth as though to give his brain an opportunity of testing the effect. Once more it was applied, with a similar result as in the first instance; and as the wind carried the smoke to leeward he quietly handed the magic instrument to the sailor from whom he now took the helm, and with invigorated intelligence he directed his attention to the boat.

"She's made the signal," said Paul, who still observed her with the glass. "She has hoisted the English flag in exchange for the French."

"Can you see the Mounseer, Captain Doopwee?" asked Dick.

"I can't swear to him," replied Paul, "but there's some one very like him, in a pilot coat, in the stern."

"Perhaps we'd better have the muskets ready," continued Dick, as he again took his pipe from the sailor, and asked fresh advice by a vigorous puff. "Just put a pistol and a cutlass on the deck by my side," said Dick to the sailor who had assisted him, as though the tobacco had suggested the idea. "I don't trust those Mounseers, they're too purlite by half; and I can't see Captain Doopwee."

Although Paul had no suspicion of the boat that was now rapidly approaching, he saw no objection to Dick's practical advice.

"Are those muskets all loaded?" he asked, as he pointed to those in the rack around the main-mast.

"Yes," replied Dick; "if a musket ain't loaded, it's like a pipe without baccy. I loaded those muskets myself early this morning, as I don't trust the Mounseers."

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'Well," said Paul to a sailor near him, "unlock the arm-chest, and let each man strap on his cutlass and put a pistol in his belt; lay a dozen muskets on the deck, in ad

dition to those upon the rack, and keep a bright lookout as we near the French boat."

In about twenty minutes the boat was within a pistolshot of the lugger; Captain Dupuis was not among the crew. A man in the bow of the boat now waved a small English flag, at the same time he held a letter in his outstretched left hand. The lugger now hauled close up to the wind, and lay to, as the boat was allowed to come alongside, and the person in command nimbly leaped on board, while the boat dropped astern, and was secured by a rope to the Polly.

"Bon voyage, Monsieur le Capitaine !" said the sprightly individual who now accosted Paul. "I have de plaisir to introduce to you von lettre of de part de notre ami Monsieur Dupuis, who makes to you ses compliments, but is engaged vith les mégrimes, or vith some seekness detestable, dat ties him to his bed."

With this introduction the dapper little Frenchman presented his letter, which Paul immediately read.

Monsieur Dupuis described that he was unwell, and therefore could not meet him in person, but that the bearer was a trustworthy agent, who would act as pilot, and guide the Polly to a secure hiding-place, where she could disembark her goods and receive a fresh cargo without fear of interruption. After having asked a few questions, which were satisfactorily answered, Paul ordered Dick Stone to obey the directions of the French pilot; and the lugger, having been allowed to fall off the wind, immediately filled her sails, and once more she scudded over the waves with the French boat and crew towing astern.

"Vest-sou'-vest, if you please, mon ami," said the polite pilot to the imperturbable Dick, "till I show you von leetle port vare no one know."

As Dick slightly altered the lugger's course he took a