in leaving you, widout sayin' a word or two about the
same M'Clutchy, who, between you and me--but I hope it won't go farther,
sir?"

"I don't think it would be permitted to me to betray confidence--I
humbly think so. Be not afraid, but speak."

"Why, sir, he has got a dirty trick of speakin' disrespectfully of you
behind your back."

"Human weakness, Darby! poor profligate man! Proceed, what does he say?"

"Why, sir, if it 'ud be agreeable to you, I'd rather not be goin' over
it."

"We should know our friends from our enemies, O'Drive; but I forgive
him, and shall earnestly pray for him this night. What did he say?"

"Why he said, sir--verily, thin, I'm ashamed to say it."

"Did he speak only of myself?" inquired Solomon, with something like a
slight, but repressed appearance of alarm.

"Oh, of nobody else, sir. Well, then, he said, sir--but sure I'm only
repatin' his wicked words--he said, sir, that if you were cut up into
the size of snipe shot, there would be as much roguery in the least
grain of you, as would corrupt a nation of pickpockets."

"Poor man! I forgive him. Do you not see me smile, Darby?"

"I do, indeed, sir."

"Well, that is a smile of forgiveness--of pure Christian
forgiveness--free from the slightest taint of human infirmity. I am
given to feel this delightful state of mind at the present moment--may
He be praised!--proceed."

"It is a blessed state, sir, and as you can bear it--and as I can trust
you, what I could not him--I will go on:--" he said, "besides, sir, that
your example had made the ould boy himself a worse boy now than he had
ever been before he ever knew you I--that in temptin' you, he got new
dodges of wickedness that he was never up to till he met you, and
that he's now receivin' lessons from you in the shape of a convartin'
parson."

"Ah! well!--I see, I see--that is an unchristian allusion to my recent
intercourse with the Rev. Phineas Lucre, the respected and highly
connected rector of Castle Cumber, and his nephew, the Rev. Boanerges
Frothwell, both of whom take a deep interest in the New Reformation
movement which is now so graciously advancing. However, I shall pray for
that man this night."

"Sir, I feel much relieved; I'm a changed man widin these few minutes, I
may say--but what, afther all, is aquil to a good example? I feel, sir,
as if a strong hatred of idolaphry was comin' an me."

"Idolatry, you mean, Darby?"

"Yes, sir, that's what I mean."

"Whe