“Faith, sir, I don’t know that that would be altogether prudent.  Did you never hear of the ould proverb, sir—­not to throw out the dirty water till you get in the clane—­I’m not sure that I have a sufficient grip of the new light yet,” said Darby, falling unconsciously into his usual style of conversation, “but, I hope that by next Sunday, I’ll be able to shine;—­an’, be me sowl, if I don’t, sir, it’ll be none o’ my fawt—­divil resave the purtier convert in Europe than I’ll make when I come to know a little about it.”

“Darby,” said Solomon, impatiently, “this is really very trying to one so anxious for your spiritual welfare as I am.  This awful swearing—­I really fear that some of your light has been withdrawn since our last interview.”

“Not at all unlikely,” replied Darby; “but wid great submission, don’t you think, sir, that two religions is betther than one?”

“How do you mean by adverting to such an impossibility?”

“Why, sir, suppose I kept the ould one, and joined this new reformation to it, wouldn’t I have two chances instead o’ one?”

“Darby,” said Solomon, “avoid, or rather Pray that you may be enabled to avoid the enemy; for I fear he is leading you into a darker error.  I tell you—­I say unto you—­that you would be much better to have no religion than the Popish.  You have reminded me of one proverb, suffer me to remind you of another; do you not know, to speak in a worldly figure, that an empty house is better than a bad tenant? why, I looked on you with pride, with a kind of and joy as one wilom I had wrestled for, and won from the enemy; but I fear you are elapsing.”

“I hope in God sir,” very gravely, “that you and he won’t have to toss up for me; for I feel myself sometimes one thing, and sometimes the other.”

“Ah!” replied Solomon, “I fear I must give you up, and in that case it will not be in my power to employ you in a very confidential matter, the management of which I imagined I could have entrusted to you.  That, however, cannot be now, as no one not amply provided with strong religious dispositions, could be relied on in it.”

Darby, who, in fact, was playing M’Slime precisely as a skilful fisherman does his fish; who, in order to induce him the more eagerly to swallow the bait, pretends to withdraw it from his jaws, by which means it is certain to be gulped down, and the fish caught.

“Ah, sir,” replied Darby, “I’m greatly afeared that every person like me must struggle with great temptations.”

“That is an excellent observation,” said Solomon; “and I do suppose, that since this desirable change took place in your heart, you must have been woefully beset.”

“Never suffered so much in my life,” replied the other.  “Now there’s your two beautiful tracts, and may I never die in sin—­I hope, sir, there’s no great harm in that oath?

“No great harm but you had better omit it, however—­it smacks of sin and superstition.”