_Chr._ What's the meaning of your laughter?

_Atheist._ I laugh to see what ignorant persons you are, to take upon
you so tedious a journey, and yet are like to have nothing but your
travel for your pains.

_Chr._ Why man, do you think we shall not be received?

_Atheist._ Received! There is no such place as you dream of in all this
world.

_Chr._ But there is in the world to come.

_Atheist._ When I was at home in my own country, I heard as you now
affirm, and from that hearing went out to see, and have been seeking
this city these twenty years, but find no more of it than I did the
first day I set out.

_Chr._ We have both heard, and believe, that there is such a place to be
found.

_Atheist._ Had not I, when at home, believed, I had not come thus far to
seek; but finding none--and yet I should had there been such a place to
be found, for I have gone to seek it further than you--I am going back
again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then cast
away for hopes of that which I now see is not.

Then said Christian to Hopeful his companion, Is it true which this man
hath said?

_Hope._ Take heed, he is one of the flatterers. Remember what it hath
cost us once already for hearkening to such kind fellows. What? no Mount
Zion? Did we not see from the Delectable Mountains the gate of the city?
Also, are we not now to walk by faith? Let us go on, lest the man with
the whip overtake us again. You should have taught me that lesson, which
I will round you in the ears withal: "Cease, my son, to hear the
instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." I say, my
brother, cease to hear him, and let us believe to the saving of the
soul.

_Chr._ My brother, I did not put the question to thee, for that I
doubted of the truth of our belief myself, but to prove thee, and to
fetch from thee a fruit of the honesty of thy heart. As for this man, I
know that he is blinded by the god of this world. Let thee and me go on,
knowing that we have belief of the truth, and no lie is of the truth.

_Hope._ Now do I rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So they turned
away from the man, and he, laughing at them, went his way.

I then saw in my dream that they went on until they came into a certain
country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy, if he came a
stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull, and heavy to
sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian: I do now begin to grow so