These may be--nay, at present they are--in direct contradiction to those by which you are actuated; and how shall we decide which shall have precedence ?--YOU perhaps feel yourself destined to act as my jailer.

I feel myself, on the contrary, destined to attempt and effect my escape.

One of us must be wrong, but who can say which errs till the event has decided betwixt us ?' 'I shall feel myself destined to have recourse to severe modes of restraint,' said he, in the same tone of half jest, half earnest which I had used.
'In that case,' I answered, 'it will be my destiny to attempt everything for my freedom.' 'And it may be mine, young man,' he replied, in a deep and stern tone, 'to take care that you should rather die than attain your purpose.' This was speaking out indeed, and I did not allow him to go unanswered.
'You threaten me in vain,' said I; 'the laws of my country will protect me; or whom they cannot protect, they will avenge.' I spoke this firmly, and he seemed for a moment silenced; and the scorn with which he at last answered me, had something of affectation in it.
'The laws!' he said; 'and what, stripling, do you know of the laws of your country?
Could you learn jurisprudence under a base-born blotter of parchment, such as Saunders Fairford; or from the empty pedantic coxcomb, his son, who now, forsooth, writer himself advocate?
When Scotland was herself, and had her own king and legislature, such plebeian cubs, instead of being called to the bar of her supreme courts, would scarce have been admitted to the honour of bearing a sheepskin process-bag.' Alan, I could not bear this, but answered indignantly, that he knew not the worth and honour from which he was detracting.
'I know as much of these Fairfords as I do of you,' he replied.
'As much,' said I, 'and as little; for you can neither estimate their real worth nor mine.

I know you saw them when last in Edinburgh.' 'Ha!' he exclaimed, and turned on me an inquisitive look.
'It is true,' said I; 'you cannot deny it; and having thus shown you that I know something of your motions, let me warn you I have modes of communication with which you are not acquainted.

Oblige me not to use them to your prejudice.' 'Prejudice me!' he replied.