sea, in the absence of positive hostilities."

"I am happy to find you agreeing with me, then, in the legality of the
doctrine of the right of search."

Paul Blunt again smiled, and Eve, as she caught a glimpse of his fine
countenance in turning in their short walk, fancied there was a concealed
pride of reason in the expression. Still he answered as mildly and quietly
as before.

"The right of search, certainly, to attain these ends, but to attain no
more. If nations denounce piracy, for instance, and employ especial agents
to detect and overcome the free-booters, there is reason in according to
these agents all the rights that are requisite to the discharge of the
duties: but, in conceding this much, I do not see that any authority is
acquired beyond that which immediately belongs to the particular service
to be performed. If we give a man permission to enter our house to look
for thieves, it does not follow that, because so admitted, he has a right
to exercise any other function. I do believe that the ship in chase of us,
as a public cruiser, ought to be allowed to board this vessel; but finding
nothing contrary to the laws of nations about her, that she will have no
power to detain or otherwise molest her. Even the right I concede ought to
be exercised in good faith, and without vexatious abuses."

"But, surely, you must think that in carrying off a refugee from justice
we have placed ourselves in the wrong, and cannot object, as a principle,
to the poor man's being taken back again into the country from which he
has escaped, however much we may pity the hardships of the
particular case?"