n her cell in the
shape of a handsome black man. No offence, madam, no offence, pray
retain your seat," said he, observing that Belle had started up; "I mean
no offence. Well, if you will not consent to be an abbess, perhaps you
will consent to follow this young Zingaro, and to co-operate with him and
us. I am a priest, madam, and can join you both in an instant, _connubio
stabili_, as I suppose the knot has not been tied already."

"Hold your mumping gibberish," said Belle, "and leave the dingle this
moment, for though 'tis free to every one, you have no right to insult me
in it."

"Pray be pacified," said I to Belle, getting up, and placing myself
between her and the man in black, "he will presently leave, take my word
for it--there, sit down again," said I, as I led her to her seat; then,
resuming my own, I said to the man in black: "I advise you to leave the
dingle as soon as possible."

"I should wish to have your answer to my proposal first," said he.

"Well, then, here you shall have it: I will not entertain your proposal;
I detest your schemes: they are both wicked and foolish."

"Wicked," said the man in black, "have they not--he! he!--the furtherance
of religion in view?"

"A religion," said I, "in which you yourself do not believe, and which
you contemn."

"Whether I believe in it or not," said the man in black, "it is adapted
for the generality of the human race; so I will forward it, and advise
you to do the same. It was nearly extirpated in these regions, but it is
springing up again, owing to circumstances. Radicalism is a good friend
to us; all the liberals laud up our system out of hatred to the
Established Church, though our system is ten times less liberal than the
Church of England. Some of them have really come over to us. I myself
confess a baronet who presided over the first radical meeting ever held
in England--he was an atheist when he came over to us, in the hope of
mortifying his own church--but he is now--ho! ho!--a real Catholic
devotee--quite afraid of my threats; I make him frequently scourge
himself before me. Well, Radicalism does us good service, especially
amongst the lower classes, for Radicalism chiefly flourishes amongst
them; for though a baronet or two may be found amongst the radicals, and
perhaps as many lords--fellows who have been discarded by their own order
for clownishness, or something they have done--it incontestably
flourishes best among the lower orders.