Tommy Johnson, after his acquittal, returned home, in a condition which an original mind has described as that of a wiser, sadder, and poorer man than he was prior to the last run. He, however, laudably determined not to make another adventure. He would not seek, through new perils, to retrieve his loss. Without any claims to the character of poet himself, he drew philosophy from Hamlet, and resolved to bear the ills he had rather than fly to others which, his lawyers told him, he could not fathom the depths of. He would stick to the safe pursuit of fortune on land, and not tempt the perils of the deep in the way he had done. In one of his soliloquies on this point he observed that he had made money at it, but he was afraid that he had used up his luck. He couldn't stand those long imprisonments, and he couldn't always go on dropping thousands into the hands of the coast-guard and the lawyers. On the whole, he was decidedly of opinion that smuggling was objectionable, on many grounds, and for various reasons; so he did in fact at last resolve to give it up--and he kept that promise. Mr. Johnson, in less than a fortnight (being so anxious, as he said, to get the affair off his mind) wrote to his attorney to ascertain the exact balance due to that able and worthy man. The lawyer answered by a note, which led Mr. Johnson to call at his office with about 150_l._ in his pocket. "Well, Mr. Johnson," observed the attorney, stretching out his hands with frigid cordiality, "sit down. I am glad to see you, Mr. Johnson; very glad indeed. I never thought I should have succeeded in getting you off the last time. You owe a great deal to me and to your excellent counsel, Mr. Needy and Mr. Silkyarn." "Oh, yes; I'm much obliged, sir, I assure you," Johnson interposed, with the hope of abbreviating the homily. "Of course," continued the lawyer, "I am bound to do the best I can for my client who is in a difficulty. I am glad that I did succeed in getting you off; but prevention is better than cure, you know, Mr. Johnson." "Of course," exclaimed the impatient client. "And," the attorney went on to say, "let me give you a bit of sound advice gratis--moral and religious advice, as well as legal--Mr. Johnson. Let me assure you, that although I dare say you think there is no harm in it, it is as wicked to plunder the revenue as it is to rob a private individual." "I can't see it in that light," said the unconvicted smuggler. "It is so, upon my honour," replied the attorney. "Think over what I now say. Reflect upon the matter, Mr. Johnson, and you'll see I'm right." "Well, that's an affair for to-morrow. Let me see, what did you say your balance was, sir?" "Oh, ah! Well, I said I'd take a hundred guineas in final settlement--that is, a hundred and five pounds, Mr. Johnson." Johnson counted the money in notes, and handed it to the attorney, who laid it on his table. A moment's silence followed.