and he held up his hand as he saw
that I was about to speak--"do not inflict upon me those musty
platitudes about _conscience_ and _duty_ that I have heard so often in
the old days, and that have been made the excuse for so many acts of
gross tyranny and injustice that my gorge rises in loathing whenever I
hear them mentioned. What _is_ conscience? The inward monitor that
points out your duty to God and restrains--or tries to restrain--you
from doing wrong, you will perhaps say. Well, let us accept that as an
answer. I will then ask you another question. Do you really believe in
the existence of the Being you call God? No, I am sure you do not; you
cannot, my dear fellow, and remain consistent. For what is our
conception of God? or, rather, what is the picture of Him that our
ghostly advisers and teachers have drawn of Him? Are we not assured
that He is the personification and quintessence of Justice, and Love,
and Mercy? Very well. Then, if such a Being really exists, would the
tyranny, the injustice, the cruelty, and the suffering that have
afflicted poor humanity, from Adam down to ourselves, have been
permitted? Certainly not! Therefore I unhesitatingly say that He
cannot exist, and that the belief in Him is a mere idle, foolish
superstition, unworthy of entertainment by intelligent, reasonable, and
reasoning beings. And if there is no God, whence do we derive our
conception of duty? I tell you, Dugdale, there is no such thing as duty
save to one's self; the duty of protecting, and providing for, and
avenging one's self, as I am doing, and as you may do if you choose to
join me."

"Have you finished?" I asked, as he paused and looked eagerly into my
face. "Very well, then; I will answer in a few words, if facts were as
you so confidently state them to be, I might possibly be induced to cast
in my lot with yours; but, fortunately for humanity, they are not so,
and I must therefore most emphatically decline."

"Then I presume," said he, with a sneer, "you still believe in the
existence of God, and His power to work His will here on earth?"

"Certainly," I answered, without hesitation.

"Do you believe that He is more potent than I am!"

"I really must decline to answer so absurd a question," said I, and
turned away to leave him.

"Stop!" he thundered, his eyes suddenly blazing with demoniac fury.
"Answer me, yes or no, _if you are not afraid_! If your faith in Him is
as perfect as you would hav