Darby, who in point of fact had his course already taken, shook his head and replied, falling back upon the form of M’Slime’s language as much as he could—­

“I feel, sir,” he replied, “that I’m not permitted.”

“Permitted!” repeated the other.  “What do you menu?”

“I’m not permitted from above, sir, to prosecute this man.  I’m not justified in it.”

“Quite ridiculous, O’Drive, where did you pick up this jargon of the conventicle—­but that reminds me, by the by—­you are not a convert to the Established Church.  You belong to the Dissenters, and owe your change of opinions to Mr. M’Slime.”

“If I don’t belong to the Established Church now, sir,” replied Darby, “I won’t be long so.”

“Why,” inquired the other, “are you not satisfied with the denomination of Christians you have joined?”

“M’Slime, sir, converted me—­as you say—­but I’ve great objections—­and between you and me, I, fear it’s not altogether safe for any man to take his religion from an attorney.”

A smile, as much as he could condescend to, passed over the haughty, but dignified features of Mr. Lucre.

“O’Drive,” said he, “I did not think you possessed so much simplicity of character as I perceive you do—­but touching the prosecution of this man—­you must lodge information, forthwith.  You shall bring the warrant to Mr. M’Clutchy who will back it, and put it into the hands of those who will lose little time in having it executed.”

“I am sorry, sir, that my conscience doesn’t justify me in doin’ what you wish.”

“What do you mean by conscience, sir?” asked the other, getting warm, “if you have a conscience you will have no scruple in punishing a man who is an open enemy to truth, to the gospel, and to the spread of it through a benighted land.  How can you reconcile it to your conscience to let such a man escape.”

“Simply by forgiving him, sir—­by lettin’ the great, big, ignorant hathen, have the full benefit of a gospel forgiveness.  That’s what I mean, sir, and surely it stands to sense that I couldn’t prosecute him wid these feelin’s, barrin’ I’d go against the Word.”

“O’Drive,” said Lucre, evidently mortified at Darby’s obstinacy, “one of two things is true; either you are utterly ignorant, perhaps, with every disposition to know them, of the sanctions and obligations of religion, or you are still a Papist at heart, and an impostor.  I tell you, sir, once more, that it is upon religious grounds that you ought to prosecute this wild priest; because in doing so, you render a most important service to religion and morality, both of which are outraged in his person.  You ought to know this.  Again, sir, if you are a Protestant, and have thoroughly cast Popery from your heart, you must necessarily be a loyal man and a good subject; but if you refuse to prosecute him, you can be neither the one nor the other, but a Papist and an impostor, and I’ve done with you.  If Mr. M’Clutchy knew, sir, that you refused to prosecute a priest for such a violent outrage upon your person, I imagine you would not long hold the situation of bailiff under him.”