"It's wonderful, in London town, how soon a man may hold, By art and sleight, Or main and might, A pretty sum of gold; Yet give me but a pistol, and one rich squire or two, A moonlight night, a yellow chaise, and the high road will do." This was not the last song that was sung; but that which followed was interrupted by one of the pseudo-labourers coming in from the yard, to say that there was a hard knocking at the gate. "I think it is Mr. Radford's voice," added the man, "but I'm not sure; and I did not like to get up into the cart to look." "Run up stairs to the window, Jinny!" cried old Ramley, "and you'll soon see." His daughter did, on this occasion, as she was bid, and soon called down from above, "It's old Radford, sure enough; but he's got two men with him!" "It's all right, if he's there," said Jim Ramley; and the gates were opened in a minute, to give that excellent gentleman admission. Now, Mr. Radford, it must be remembered, was a magistrate for the county of Kent; but his presence created neither alarm nor confusion in the house of the Ramleys; and when he entered, leaving his men in the court for a minute, he said, with a laugh, holding the father of that hopeful family by the arm, "I've come to search, and to stop the others. Where are the goods?" "Safe enough," answered the farmer. "No fear--no fear!" "But can we look under the trap?" asked Mr. Radford, who seemed as well acquainted with the secrets of the place as the owner thereof. "Ay, ay!" replied the old man. "Don't leave 'em too long--that's all." "I'll go down myself," said Radford; "they've got scent of it, or I wouldn't find it out." "All right--all right!" rejoined the other, in a low voice; and the magistrate, raising his tone, exclaimed, "Here, Clinch and Adams--you two fools! why don't you come in? They say there is nothing here; but we must search. We must not take any man's word; not to say that I doubt yours, Mr. Ramley; but it is necessary, you know." "Oh, do what you like, sir," replied the farmer. "I don't care!" A very respectable search was then commenced, and pursued from room to room--one of the men who accompanied Mr. Radford, and who was an officer of the Customs, giving old Ramley a significant wink with his right eye as he passed, at which the other grinned. Indeed, had the whole matter not been very well understood between the great majority of both parties, it would have been no very pleasant or secure task for any three men in England to enter the kitchen of that farm-house on such an errand. At length, however, Mr. Radford and his companions returned to the kitchen, and the magistrate thought fit to walk somewhat out of his way towards the left-hand side of the room, when suddenly stopping, he exclaimed, in a grave tone, "Hallo! Ramley, what's here? These boards seem loose!"