It is certainly strange, the bond which exists between us and any one who has called into action towards them the better feelings of our nature. It seems as if they had made acquaintance with our hearts, and obtained an entrance at once on all occasions when strangers are not admitted. "We put a withering twig in the ground," says Sterne, "and then we water it because we have planted it." Whatever may be the philosophical cause of this tendency, Charles Tyrrell certainly felt far more interest in the case of John Hailes than he did in that of any one present; and advancing towards him, he asked him, not in a loud voice indeed, but not in a low one, how he happened to be in such a situation. "Bless you, sir!" replied the man, "I've no more to do with it than you have. How I got the cut on the head, you see, is because these fellows came in upon me suddenly, and I not liking to be overhauled in that manner, knocked one of them down. That's the truth, I don't deny. But as for running the goods, I had no more to do with that than my boy Johnny. I wonder they didn't take him too; for you know well enough, sir, that he had nearly gone to sea without any papers aboard, poor boy. D----, they may do what they like; they can't do any harm to me; for I had no hand in running anything, so they can't make out that I had." "But you should have submitted when you knew that there was a warrant out against you," replied Charles. "I never knew anything of that," replied the man "Nobody ever told me of a warrant. But, just when I was stooping down over the chest in the window of the hovel, in comes one of these lubbers, and catches me by the jacket, telling me I must come away with him: so, you see, sir, I turned round and knocked him over, as was natural. Nobody can say much against that, I think." "Come, come, Charles," cried Sir Francis, "wo must investigate this matter in a more orderly way. I don't see the use of waiting longer for the lawyer. We might remain here all day." Charles endeavoured to persuade his father that it would be better to give a little more time for the arrival of the person who had been sent for; but, as a natural consequence, Sir Francis persisted in proceeding immediately, and had opened the business, when it was again interrupted by the entrance of no less a personage than Captain Long, with his pigtail at full length, accompanied by Everard Morrison, both bearing evident marks of having lost no time by the road. As soon as Charles saw his old schoolfellow, he advanced and shook hands with him cordially; and though Everard received his friend's greeting with his usual calm and thoughtful demeanour, to those who knew him well it would have been evident, from the placid smile that hung upon his lip and the momentary brightness of his eye, that his meeting with Charles Tyrrell, and the warm reception given him by the baronet's son, were grateful to every feeling of his heart.