nor not of one shire neither; for I,’ said one, ‘am an election doubter:’  ‘I,’ said another, ‘am a vocation doubter:’  then said the third, ’I am a salvation doubter:’  and the fourth said he was a grace doubter.  ‘Well,’ quoth the old gentleman, ’be of what shire you will, I am persuaded that you are down, boys:  you have the very length of my foot, are one with my heart, and shall be welcome to me.’  So they thanked him, and were glad that they had found themselves an harbour in Mansoul.

Then said Evil-Questioning to them:  ’How many of your company might there be that came with you to the siege of Mansoul?’ and they answered:  ’There were but ten thousand doubters in all, for the rest of the army consisted of fifteen thousand blood-men.  These blood-men,’ quoth they, ’border upon our country; but, poor men! as we hear, they were every one taken by Emmanuel’s forces.’  ‘Ten thousand!’ quoth the old gentleman; ’I will promise you, that is a round company.  But how came it to pass, since you were so mighty a number, that you fainted, and durst not fight your foes?’ ‘Our general,’ said they, ‘was the first man that did run for it.’  ‘Pray,’ quoth their landlord, ’who was that, your cowardly general?’ ‘He was once the Lord Mayor of Mansoul,’ said they:  ’but pray call him not a cowardly general; for whether any from the east to the west has done more service for our prince Diabolus, than has my Lord Incredulity, will be a hard question for you to answer.  But had they catched him, they would for certain have hanged him; and we promise you, hanging is but a bad business.’  Then said the old gentleman, ’I would that all the ten thousand doubters were now well armed in Mansoul, and myself at the head of them; I would see what I could do.’  ‘Ay,’ said they, ’that would be well if we could see that; but wishes, alas! what are they?’ and these words were spoken aloud.  ‘Well,’ said old Evil-Questioning, ’take heed that you talk not too loud; you must be quat and close, and must take care of yourselves while you are here, or, I will assure you, you will be snapped.’  ‘Why?’ quoth the doubters.  ‘Why!’ quoth the old gentleman; ’why! because both the Prince and Lord Secretary, and their captains and soldiers, are all at present in town; yea, the town is as full of them as ever it can hold.  And besides, there is one whose name is Willbewill, a most cruel enemy of ours, and him the Prince has made keeper of the gates, and has commanded him that, with all the diligence he can, he should look for, search out, and destroy all, and all manner of Diabolonians.  And if he lighteth upon you, down you go, though your heads were made of gold.’

And now, to see how it happened, one of the Lord Willbewill’s faithful soldiers, whose name was Mr. Diligence, stood all this while listening under old Evil-Questioning’s eaves, and heard all the talk that had been betwixt him and the doubters that he entertained under his roof.

The soldier was a man that my lord had much confidence in, and that he loved dearly; and that both because he was a man of courage, and also a man that was unwearied in seeking after Diabolonians to apprehend them.