Read The Distracted Preacher for Free Online Page A

not outrun him, but that, hearing him at her heels, and believing him one of the excise party, she had hidden herself somewhere on the way, and let him pass by.
    He went on at a more leisurely pace towards the village. On reaching the house he found his surmise to be correct, for the gate was on the latch, and the door unfastened, just as he had left them. Stockdale closed the door behind him, and waited silently in the passage. In about ten minutes he heard the same light footstep that he had heard in going out; it paused at the gate, which opened and shut softly, and then the door-latch was lifted, and Lizzy came in.
    Stockdale went forward and said at once, “Lizzy, don’t be frightened. I have been waiting up for you.”
    She started, though she had recognized the voice. “It is Mr. Stockdale, isn’t it?” she said.
    â€œYes,” he answered, becoming angry now that she was safe in-doors, and not alarmed. “And a nice game I’ve found you out in to-night. You are in man’s clothes, and I am ashamed of you!”
    Lizzy could hardly find a voice to answer this unexpected reproach.
    â€œI am only partly in man’s clothes,” she faltered, shrinking back to the wall. “It is only his great-coat and hat and breeches that I’ve got on, which is no harm, as he was my own husband; and I do it only because a cloak blows about so, and you can’t use your arms. I have got my own dress under just the same—it is only tucked in. Will you go away up-stairs and let me pass? I didn’t want you to see me at such a time as this.”
    â€œBut I have a right to see you. How do you think there can be anything between us now?” Lizzy was silent. “You are a smuggler,” he continued, sadly.
    â€œI have only a share in the run,” she said.
    â€œThat makes no difference. Whatever did you engage in such a trade as that for, and keep it such a secret from me all this time?”
    â€œI don’t do it always. I do it only in winter-time when ’tis new moon.”
    â€œWell, I suppose that’s because it can’t be done anywhen else . . . You have regularly upset me, Lizzy.”
    â€œI am sorry for that,” Lizzy meekly replied.
    â€œWell now,” said he, more tenderly, “no harm is done as yet. Won’t you for the sake of me give up this blamable and dangerous practice altogether?”
    â€œI must do my best to save this run,” said she, getting rather husky in the throat. “I don’t want to give you up—you know that; but I don’t want to lose my venture. I don’t know what to do now! Why I have kept it so secret from you is that I was afraid you would be angry if you knew.”
    â€œI should think so. I suppose if I had married you without finding this out you’d have gone on with it just the same?”
    â€œI don’t know. I did not think so far ahead. I only went to-night to burn the folks off, because we found that the excisemen knew where the tubs were to be landed.”
    â€œIt is a pretty mess to be in altogether, is this,” said the distracted young minister. “Well, what will you do now?”
    Lizzy slowly murmured the particulars of their plan, the chief of which were that they meant to try their luck at some other point of the shore the next night; that three landing-places were always agreed upon before the run was attempted, with the understanding that, if the vessel was burned off from the first point, which was Ringsworth, as it had been by her to-night, the crew should attempt to make the second, which was Lullstead, on the second night; and if there, too, danger threatened, they should on the third night try the third place, which was behind a headland farther west.
    â€œSuppose the officers hinder them landing there too?” he said, his attention to this interesting programme displacing for a moment his concern at her share in it.
    â€œThen we