Transcriber’s Note In this transcription, italic text is denoted by _underscores_. Small capitals in the original text have been replaced by ALL CAPITALS. See the end of this document for details of corrections and other changes. ————————————— Start of Book ————————————— JOAN, THE CURATE BY FLORENCE WARDEN AUTHOR OF “THE HOUSE ON THE MARSH,” “THE INN BY THE SHORE,” ETC. [Illustration] TORONTO GEORGE J. McLEOD PUBLISHER Copyright, 1899 BY F. M. BUCKLES & COMPANY _Joan, the Curate_ CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. The New Broom 7 II. A Startling Incident 25 III. An Ally at Last 36 IV. Fresh Outrages 52 V. A Load of Hay 65 VI. A Collision 84 VII. An Ugly Customer 94 VIII. Rede Hall 106 IX. Traitress or Friend? 126 X. The Mystery of the Gray Barn 143 XI. In The Lion’s Mouth 155 XII. Settling Accounts 174 XIII. A Late Visitor 187 XIV. A Perilous Ride 203 XV. The Smugglers’ Ship 218 XVI. A Traitress 233 XVII. An Innocent Rival 250 XVIII. A Prisoner 265 XIX. A Very Woman 280 XX. The Free-Traders’ Farewell 297 JOAN, THE CURATE. ——————— CHAPTER I. THE NEW BROOM. It was soon after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, in 1748, had put an inglorious end to an inglorious war, that the Government of the day began to give serious attention to an evil which had been suffered to grow while public attention was absorbed by battles abroad and the doings of the press-gang at home. This was the practise of plundering wrecked vessels, which had been carried on in combination with the smuggler’s daring and dangerous trade, particularly on the wild marsh coast south of Kent, and the equally lonely Sussex cliffs beyond.