ess and authenticity of the
Pentateuch and the Gospels; the credibility of the narrators; the
possibility of their being deceived; the--"

"In fact," said De Vayne, "the evidences of Christianity. Well, I trust
that I have studied them, and that they satisfy alike my reason and my
conscience."

"Ah, yes! Well, it's no good entering on those questions, you know. I
shouldn't like to shock your convictions, as I should have to do if I
discussed with you. It's just as well after all--even in the nineteenth
century--not to expose the exotic flower of men's belief to the rude
winds of fair criticism. Picciola! it might be blighted, poor thing,
which would be a pity. Perhaps one does more harm than good by exposing
antiquated errors." And with a complacent shrug of the shoulders, and a
slight smile of self-admiration, Bruce leant back in his armchair.

This was Bruce's usual way, and he found it the most successful. There
were a great many minds on whom it created the impression of immense
cleverness. "That kind of thing, you know, it's all exploded now," he
would say among the circle of his admirers, and he would give a little
wave of the hand, which was vastly effective--as if he "could an if he
would" puff away the whole system of Christianity with quite a little
breath of objection, but refrained from such tyrannous use of a giant's
strength. "It's all very well, you know, for parsons--though, by the
way, not half of the cleverest believe what they preach--but really for
men of the world, and thinkers, and acute reasoners"--(oh, how agreeable
it was to the Tulks and Boodles to be included in such a
category)--"why, after such books as Frederic of Suabia `De Tribus
Impostoribus,' and Strauss' `Leben Jesu,' and De Wette, and Feuerbach,
and Van Bohlen, and Nork, one can't be expected, you know, to believe
such a mass of traditionary rubbish." (Bruce always professed
acquaintance with German writers, and generally quoted the titles of
their books in the original; it sounded so much better; not that he had
read one of them, of course.) And they _did_ think him _so_ clever when
he talked in this way. Only think how wise he must be to know such
profound truths!

But so far from Bruce's hardly-concealed contempt for the things which
Christians hold sacred producing any effect on Lord De Vayne, he
regarded it with a silent pity. "I hate," thought he, "when Vice can
bolt her arguments, and Virtue has no tongue to c