“Shoot me!” cried Hilary.
“Y–e–es; you see you know a good deal, my young friend, but we should bury you decently. You broke up the rendezvous at Rorley Place, and spoiled the smuggler’s landing, did you not?”
“I did,” said Hilary boldly.
“Yes. And you were kept a prisoner there, were you not?”
“I was.”
“And escaped and made signals with the smuggler’s lanterns to bring down the cutter’s crew upon the party, did you not?”
“I did. It was my duty.”
“Yes, you thought it was, my good lad. Let me see, you nearly captured Sir Henry Norland, too, did you not?”
“I should have taken him if he had been there,” replied Hilary; “but I was glad he was not.”
“Why?”