In the Kings Name | Page 6

was trying, for some reason or another, to
get back to England, and that although the lugger was commanded by
an Englishman, she was undoubtedly a French chasse maree from Saint
Malo.
But the lieutenant had got it into his head that he had overhauled a
smuggling vessel laden with what would turn into prize-money for
himself and men, and the thought that she might be bound on a political
errand did not cross his mind.
"I'll search fully," said Leigh; and bidding the sailor with the long
pigtail stay where he was, the young officer bent down and crept in
under the half-deck just as the fainting girl recovered.
As she caught sight of Hilary she made a snatch at his hand, and in a
choking voice exclaimed:
"Oh, Hilary! don't you know me again? Pray, pray save my poor father.
Oh, you will not give him up?"

The young man's heart seemed to stand still as the dilemma in which he
was placed forced itself upon him. He was in his majesty's service, and
in the king's name he ought to have called upon this gentleman, a
well-known Jacobite, to surrender, and tell the lieutenant who he was.
On the other hand, if he did this unpleasant duty he would be betraying
a dear old companion of his father, a man who had watched his own
career with interest and helped him through many a little trouble; and,
above all, he would be, as the thought flashed upon him, sending
Adela's father--his own old companion's father--to the scaffold.
These thoughts flashed through his mind, and with them recollections
of those delightful schoolboy days that he had passed at the Old Manor
House, Sir Henry's pleasant home, in Sussex, when boy and girl he and
Adela had roamed the woods, boated on the lake, and fished the river
hard by.
"No," he muttered between his teeth; "I meant to be a faithful officer to
my king; but I'd sooner jump overboard than do such dirty work as
that."
There was an angry look in the young girl's eyes; and as Hilary read her
thoughts he could not help thinking how bright and beautiful a woman
she was growing. He saw that she believed he was hesitating, and there
was something scornful in her gaze, an echo, as it were, of that of her
grey-haired, careworn father, whose eyebrows even seemed to have
turned white, though his dark eyes were fiery as ever.
There was no doubt about it; they believed that he would betray them,
and there was something almost of loathing in Adela Norland's face as
her hood fell back, and the motion she made to place her hands in her
father's brought her head out of the shadow into the bright morning
light.
"Thank ye, ma'am," said Hilary in a rough, brisk voice; "I was just
going to ask you to move. You'd better come in, Tom Tully, there's a
lot of things to move. P'r'aps this gentleman will stand outside."

"Ay, ay, sir," growled Tom Tully, as Hilary darted one meaning look at
the proscribed man.
"Look here, sir," continued Hilary, as he heard the lieutenant
approaching, "you may just as well save us the trouble by declaring
what you have hidden. We are sure to find it."
"Got anything, Mr Leigh?" said the lieutenant briskly.
"Nothing yet, sir. Have you?"
"Not a tub, or a package."
"If you imagine, sir, that this boat is laden with smuggled goods you
may save yourselves a great deal of trouble, for there is nothing
contraband on board, I feel sure."
"Thank you," said the lieutenant politely, and with a satirical laugh;
"but you'd hardly believe it, my dear sir, when I tell you that dozens of
skippers and passengers in boats have said the very same thing to me,
and whenever that has been the case we have generally made a pretty
good haul of smuggled goods. Go on, my lads; I can't leave a corner
unsearched."
Sir Henry gave his shoulders a slight shrug, and turned to draw his
daughter's hood over her head.
"You'll excuse my child, gentlemen," he said coldly. "She is very weak
and ill."
"Oh! of course," said Hilary; "we've searched here, sir; she can lie
down again."
Adela uttered a low sigh of relief, and she longed to dart a grateful look
at the young officer, but she dared not; and knowing that in place of
looking pale and ill a warm flush of excitement was beaming in her
cheeks, she hastily drew her hand closer over her face, and let her
father place her upon a rough couch of dry nets.

"Heaven bless him!" muttered Sir Henry to himself; "but it was a
struggle between friendship and duty, I could see."
Meanwhile the lugger