The Children of Captain Grant

When the heart and the reason are struggling, it is generally the heart that wins the mastery.

It has been said that between a vigilant jailer and a prisoner who wishes to escape, the chances are in favor of the prisoner; the fact is, the interest of the one is keener than that of the other. The jailer may forget that he is on guard; the prisoner never forgets that he is guarded.
The captive thinks oftener of escaping than the jailer of preventing his flight, and hence we hear of frequent and wonderful escapes.

His kindheartedness was even greater than his generosity, for the one knew no bounds, while the other, of necessity, had its limits.