to be the dearest wish of your heart.
Go to her, John--go to Miss Winterton--she is worthy of you: no longer
restrained by the clog of poverty, you may freely indulge the feelings
of your heart."

As the father and son were walking along the road, they saw two men
approaching them at some distance.

"Whom have we here?" said John Hamilton.

"One of them is old Willie Duncan, a cottar of mine; and who the lame
man is that is with him I know not. By the by, I heard that his son was
returned from sea; perhaps that's the man."

Willie Duncan respectfully saluted his master, when he approached, and
said--

"I was just bringing my son to----"

"Good heavens!" exclaimed John Hamilton, gazing earnestly at the
disabled man; "it cannot be--yes, it is--my brave deliverer! My gallant
fellow," continued he, shaking him heartily by the hand, "how rejoiced I
am to see you, and to have an opportunity to prove my gratitude to you!
I heard you were dead--how did you escape?"

"Why, blow me, your honour, if you didn't take me quite aback. I
couldn't make you out at first--you're twice the man you were when I
see'd you on the pirate's deck; and I'd never no thoughts of falling in
with you so near home. I'm right glad, however, to see your honour once
more."

"Duncan," said Hamilton, senior, with a trembling voice, "I owe you a
debt I can never repay. You lost your limb in saving the life of my
son--it shall be my endeavour to make the loss to you as light as
possible."

"And is the gentleman the son of my father's good master? Then a fig for
the leg!--it couldn't have been lost in a better cause. And, as for
gratitude, sir, you owe me none; his honour, here, would have done the
same for me, if the case had been reversed, like--if he'd been the
sailor, and I'd been the gemman."

"Well, well, my good fellow--no doubt--we won't argue on that point;
only tell me how I can serve you, and I will do so, to the best of my
ability."

"Why, your honour, I wants for nothing just now. I've got a lot of
prize-money, and my father's snug roadstead to anchor in; but, if your
honour likes to give me a few ounces of baccy, I won't say but what I'll
be obligated to you."

"A modest request, certainly," said Mr Hamilton, laughing; "but we must
give you something better than tobacco, and as much of that as you like
into the bargain. Come, William, as your son won't speak, you must do so
for him. Tell me how I can best serve him."

A whisper