Phew!!!" whistled Kennedy, thoroughly disgusted at language which was
as new to him as it was distasteful; and, to relieve his feelings, he
abandoned the conversation to Julian, and began to turn over the books
on the table. Julian, however, seemed quite disinclined to enter into
the question, and after a pause, Hazlet, gracefully waiving his little
triumph, asked him with a peculiar unction--

"And how goes it, my dear Home, with your immortal soul?"

"My soul!" said Julian carelessly. "Oh! it's all right."

Hazlet then began to look at Julian's pictures.

"Ah," he observed with a deep sigh, "I'm sorry to see that you have the
portrait of so unsound, so dangerous a man as Mr Vere."

"We'll drop that topic, please, Hazlet," said Julian, "as we're not
likely to agree upon it."

"Have you ever read one word that Mr Vere ever wrote?" asked Kennedy.

"Well, yes; at least no, not exactly: but still one may judge, you know;
besides, I've seen extracts of his works."

"Extracts!" answered Kennedy scornfully; "extracts which often attribute
to him the very sentiments which he is opposing. But it isn't worth
arguing with one of your school, who have the dishonesty to condemn
writers whom you are incapable of understanding, on the faith of
extracts which they haven't even read."

The wrathful purpling of Hazlet's sallow countenance portended an
explosion of orthodox spleen, but Julian gently interposed in time to
save the devoted Kennedy from a few unmeasured anathemas.

"Hush!" he said, "none of the odium theologicum, please, lest the mighty
shade of Aeschylus smile at you in scorn. Do drop the subject, Hazlet."

"Very well, if you like, Home; but I must deliver my conscience, you
know. But really, Julian, you are not very Christian in your other
pictures."

This was too much even for Julian's politeness, and he joined in the
shout of laughter with which Kennedy greeted this appeal.

"Fools make a mock at sin," said Hazlet austerely. "I trust that you
will both be brought to a better state of mind. Good morning!"

Kennedy flung himself into an armchair, and after finishing his laugh,
exclaimed, "My dear Home, where did you pick up that intolerable
hypocrite?"

"Hush, Kennedy, hush! Don't call him a hypocrite. His mode of religion
may be very offensive to us, and yet it may be sincere."

"Faugh! the idea of asking you, `How's your soul?' It reminds me of a
friend of mine who was suddenly asked by a min