gh with the Devil, and you won't laugh longest,' says the proverb.

Keeping to his own arms, the holy man frowned.

'Avaunt, Fiend!' he cried. 'To thy kingdom below! Thou halt raged over
earth a month, causing blights, hurricanes, and epidemics of the deadly
sins. Parley no more! Begone!'

The Demon smiled: the corners of his mouth ran up to his ears, and his
eyes slid down almost into one.

'Still through the nose!' said he reproachfully.

'I give thee Five Minutes!' cried the Monk.

'I had hoped for a longer colloquy,' sighed the Demon, jogging his left
leg and trifling with his tail.

'One Minute!' exclaimed the Monk.

'Truly so!' said the Demon. 'I know old Time and his habits better than
you really can. We meet every Saturday night, and communicate our best
jokes. I keep a book of them Down There!'

And as if he had reason to remember the pavement of his Halls, he stood
tiptoe and whipped up his legs.

'Two Minutes!'

The Demon waved perfect acquiescence, and continued:

'We understand each other, he and I. All Old Ones do. As long as he
lasts, I shall. The thing that surprises me is, that you and I cannot
agree, similar as we are in temperament, and playing for the long odds,
both of us. My failure is, perhaps, too great a passion for sport, aha!
Well, 'tis a pity you won't try and live on the benevolent principle. I
am indeed kind to them who commiserate my condition. I give them all they
want, aha! Hem! Try and not believe in me now, aha! Ho! . . . Can't you?
What are eyes? Persuade yourself you're dreaming. You can do anything
with a mind like yours, Father Gregory! And consider the luxury of
getting me out of the way so easily, as many do. It is my finest
suggestion, aha! Generally I myself nudge their ribs with the capital
idea--You're above bribes? I was going to observe--'

'Three!'

'Observe, that if you care for worldly honours, I can smother you with
that kind of thing. Several of your first-rate people made a bargain with
me when they were in the fog, and owe me a trifle. Patronage they call
it. I hook the high and the low. Too-little and too-much serve me better
than Beelzebub. A weak stomach is certainly more carnally virtuous than a
full one. Consequently my kingdom is becoming too respectable. They've
all got titles, and object to being asked to poke the fire
without--Honourable-and-with-Exceeding-Brightness-Beaming Baroness This!
Admirably-Benignant-Down-looking Highness That! Inte