communication, of which he determined to avail himself.

'Your daughter is a maid-servant at Woodbourne? I knew Miss
Mannering in India, and, though I am at present in an inferior
rank of life, I have great reason to hope she would interest
herself in my favour. I had a quarrel unfortunately with her
father, who was my commanding officer, and I am sure the young
lady would endeavour to reconcile him to me. Perhaps your daughter
could deliver a letter to her upon the subject, without making
mischief between her father and her?'

The old man, a friend to smuggling of every kind, readily answered
for the letter's being faithfully and secretly delivered; and,
accordingly, as soon as they arrived at Allonby Brown wrote to
Miss Mannering, stating the utmost contrition for what had
happened through his rashness, and conjuring her to let him have
an opportunity of pleading his own cause, and obtaining
forgiveness for his indiscretion. He did not judge it safe to go
into any detail concerning the circumstances by which he had been
misled, and upon the whole endeavoured to express himself with
such ambiguity that, if the letter should fall into wrong hands,
it would be difficult either to understand its real purport or to
trace the writer. This letter the old man undertook faithfully to
deliver to his daughter at Woodbourne; and, as his trade would
speedily again bring him or his boat to Allonby, he promised
farther to take charge of any answer with which the young lady
might entrust him.

And now our persecuted traveller landed at Allonby, and sought for
such accommodations as might at once suit his temporary poverty