fist. With these, and three collars, and moustache, beard, and whiskers,
that I carry in my pocket, I can assume half-a-dozen characters and
more."

"How do you justify your assumption of the priestly character?"

"I want information, and assume any character to get it, in every case
being guilty of deception. You think my last role unjustifiable because
of the confessional. Had I simulated a Methodist parson, or a
Presbyterian minister, or a Church of England divine, you would have
thought much less of it; and yet, if there is any bad in the thing, the
one is as bad as the other. Personally, I regard the confessional as a
piece of superstitious ecclesiastical machinery, and am ready to utilize
it, like any other superstition, for the purpose of obtaining
information. Talk about personating the clergy; I have even been bold
enough to appear as a lawyer, a quaker, a college professor, a sailor,
and an actress."

"You have certainly led me to modify my opinion of your last
performance."

"Which nearly gave me away. So you won't send me to the penitentiary;
thanks! And now, as I said at first, how's Toner?"

"Oh, Toner's all right, with the fieriest skin on him that ever lay
between two sheets. He has promised to give up drinking."

"It's very likely he'll have to."

"Why so?"

"They don't allow refreshments so strong in gaol."

"Be as easy as you can with the poor fellow, Mr. Nash."

"All depends on his future behaviour, and, in some other capacity, I
shall let him know his danger."

As the two figures came down the road toward the Inn, a voice hailed
them, the voice of the dominie. "Is Mr. Coristine there?" it shouted.

"Yes; here am I," came from the back of the horse.

"What bones are broken or wounds received?" was the pitiful but correct
question.

"Not a bone nor a wound. Mr. Nash has treated me to a ride."

"Aw ca!" ejaculated Pierre, "M'syae Nasha homme treh subtil, treh ruse,
conneh tout le monde, fait pear aux mauveh sujah."

"What is he?" asked the schoolmaster, speaking English, in his
eagerness; and the landlord replied in the same.

"Ee is vat you call detecteur, police offisare vis no close on 'im.
Anysing vas to go in ze custom house and goes not, he find it out. O, a
veray clevaire mann!"

Coristine dismounted for the purpose of introducing his companion.
Personally, he would as readily have performed this office on horseback,
but he knew that the schoolmaster was a stickler for cer