Lascelles remained on deck. She was much pleased with
Pickersgill; and they continued their conversation. Pickersgill entered
into a defence of his conduct to Lord B.; and Mrs. Lascelles could not
but admit the provocation. After a long conversation she hinted at his
profession, and how superior he appeared to be to such a lawless life.

'You may be incredulous, madam,' replied Pickersgill, 'if I tell you
that I have as good a right to quarter my arms as Lord B. himself; and
that I am not under my real name. Smuggling is, at all events, no crime;
and I infinitely prefer the wild life I lead at the head of my men to
being spurned by society because I am poor. The greatest crime in this
country is poverty. I may, if I am fortunate, some day resume my name.
You may, perhaps, meet me, and if you please, you may expose me.'

'That I should not be likely to do,' replied the widow; 'but still I
regret to see a person, evidently intended for better things, employed
in so disreputable a profession.'

'I hardly know, madam, what is and what is not disreputable in this
conventional world. It is not considered disreputable to cringe to the
vices of a court, or to accept a pension wrung from the industry of the
nation, in return for base servility. It is not considered disreputable
to take tithes, intended for the service of God, and lavish them away at
watering-places or elsewhere, seeking pleasure instead of doing God
service. It is not considered disreputable to take fee after fee to
uphold injustice, to plead against innocence, to pervert truth, and to
aid the devil. It is not considered disreputable to gamble on the Stock
Exchange, or to corrupt the honesty of electors by bribes, for doing
which the penalty attached is equal to that decreed to the offence of
which I am guilty. All these, and much more, are not considered
disreputable; yet by all these are the moral bonds of society loosened,
while in mine we cause no guilt in others----'

'But still it is a crime.'

'A violation of the revenue laws, and no more. Observe, madam, the
English Government encourage the smuggling of our manufactures to the
Continent, at the same time that they take every step to prevent
articles being smuggled into this country. Now, madam, can that be a
_crime_ when the head of the vessel is turned north, which becomes _no
crime_ when she steers the opposite way?'

'There is a stigma attached to it, you must allow.'

'That I grant you, madam