er help yourself," said I,
addressing myself to the man in black, "the lady is angry with you."

"I am sorry for it," said the man in black; "if she is angry with me, I
am not so with her, and shall always be proud to wait upon her; in the
meantime I will wait upon myself."

CHAPTER XX.--THE PROPOSAL--THE SCOTCH NOVEL--LATITUDE--MIRACLES--PESTILENT
HERETICS--OLD FRASER--WONDERFUL TEXT--NO ARMENIAN.

The man in black having helped himself to some more of his favourite
beverage, and tasted it, I thus addressed him: "The evening is getting
rather advanced, and I can see that this lady," pointing to Belle, "is
anxious for her tea, which she prefers to take cosily and comfortably
with me in the dingle. The place, it is true, is as free to you as to
ourselves, nevertheless, as we are located here by necessity, whilst you
merely come as a visitor, I must take the liberty of telling you that we
shall be glad to be alone, as soon as you have said what you have to say,
and have finished the glass of refreshment at present in your hand. I
think you said some time ago that one of your motives for coming hither
was to induce me to enlist under the banner of Rome. I wish to know
whether that was really the case?"

"Decidedly so," said the man in black; "I come here principally in the
hope of enlisting you in our regiment, in which I have no doubt you could
do us excellent service."

"Would you enlist my companion as well?" I demanded.

"We should be only too proud to have her among us, whether she comes with
you or alone," said the man in black, with a polite bow to Belle.

"Before we give you an answer," I replied, "I would fain know more about
you; perhaps you will declare your name?"

"That I will never do," said the man in black; "no one in England knows
it but myself, and I will not declare it, even in a dingle; as for the
rest, _Sono un Prete Cattolica Appostolico_--that is all that many a one
of us can say for himself, and it assuredly means a great deal."

"We will now proceed to business," said I. "You must be aware that we
English are generally considered a self-interested people."

"And with considerable justice," said the man in black, drinking. "Well,
you are a person of acute perception, and I will presently make it
evident to you that it would be to your interest to join with us. You
are at present, evidently, in very needy circumstances, and are lost, not
only to yourself, but the world; but sh