t a friend but what is as
harmless as myself."

They now entered into serious discourse, in which Flatterwell showed
himself a deep politician. He skillfully mixed up in his
conversation a proper proportion of praise on the pleasures of the
wilderness, of compliments to Parley, of ridicule on his master, and
of abusive sneers on the BOOK in which the master's laws were
written. Against this last he had always a particular spite, for he
considered it as the grand instrument by which the lord maintained
his servants in their allegiance; and when they could once be
brought to sneer at the BOOK there was an end of submission to the
lord. Parley had not penetration enough to see his drift. "As to the
BOOK, Mr. Flatterwell," said he, "I do not know whether it be true
or false. I rather neglect than disbelieve it. I am forced, indeed,
to hear it read once a week, but I never look into it myself, if I
can help it." "Excellent," said Flatterwell to himself, "that is
just the same thing. This is safe ground for me. For whether a man
does not believe in the BOOK, or does not attend to it, it comes
pretty much to the same, and I generally get him at last."

"Why can not we be a little nearer, Mr. Parley," said Flatterwell;
"I am afraid of being overheard by some of your master's spies. The
window from which you speak is so high; I wish you would come down
to the door." "Well," said Parley, "I see no great harm in that.
There is a little wicket in the door through which we may converse
with more ease and equal safety. The same fastenings will be still
between us." So down he went, but not without a degree of fear and
trembling. The little wicket being now opened, and Flatterwell
standing close on the outside of the door, they conversed with great
ease. "Mr. Parley," said Flatterwell, "I should not have pressed you
so much to admit me into the castle, but out of pure disinterested
regard to your own happiness. I shall get nothing by it, but I can
not bear to think that a person so wise and amiable should be shut
up in this gloomy dungeon, under a hard master, and a slave to the
unreasonable tyranny of his BOOK OF LAWS. If you admit me, you need
have no more waking, no more watching." Here Parley involuntarily
slipped back the bolt of the door. "To convince you of my true
love," continued Flatterwell, "I have brought a bottle of the most
delicious wine that grows in the wilderness. You shall taste it, but
you must put a glass throu