m immortal too,' said Queen Mab proudly.

'So you are,' returned the Owl. 'I was forgetting. I'm not,' he added
rather doubtfully. 'But I hope you will enjoy it.'

'It is my intention,' said Queen Mab.

The Bishop, from whose face the look of perplexity had departed, leaving
only his old serene, benevolent expression, turned as the bell chimed
out the hour, and walked slowly towards the gate. The east was growing
grey towards sunset, the east that lent the light wherein he lived, for
he was a man of a gentle heart. Far off, in the town, a million lamps
were beginning to burn. Gas lamps, and electric, and matches that struck
only on the box, and not always on that. But the face of the Bishop
shone with another radiance, and a lustre not of this world.

CHAPTER X. -- THE SUBSEQUENT CAREER OF THE NIHILIST.

'Cucullus nonfacit monachum.'

Queen Mab and the Owl were returning, rather tired, from an excursion,
when a procession of the Salvation Army came across them, with drums and
banners, and the General at its head, and,--they could hardly believe
their eyes,--the Nihilist walking by the side of the General and weeping
abundantly. The Salvation Army had brought him to a conviction of his
sins, and he was wringing his hands--at least one of them; the other,
as if automatically, still carried the black bag. The General, on the
contrary, was highly delighted. It was not every day that he converted
a Nihilist, and the thought occurred, small blame to him, that the whole
history of the incident would sound remarkably well in the 'War Cry.' So
it would have done, but for that unfortunate bag.

'You renounce the devil,' said the General confidently, 'and all his
ways?'

'I renounce him,' said the Nihilist, still clasping the black bag
fervently, in a glow of pious enthusiasm, as if it were a prayer-book.

'Then you are all right,' said the General in an encouraging tone.
'Throw away the black bag, my friend, and shout Hallelujah! Do you feel
your sins forgiven?'

'I do! I do!' exclaimed the Nihilist. 'But I daren't throw it away:
it would make such a noise in the street. I'll tie it on to the next
balloon that comes by empty. They'll assassinate me; but I don't care: I
have peace in my heart!'

'That's the right ring,' said the General, not without conquering a
feeling of repugnance towards the vicinity of the bag. 'Faith without
works, you know. Well, my brother, we must be back to head-quarters.
You'll m