. 'I have heard Mr. Petulengro say that to be cast into the earth is
the natural end of man.' 'Who is Mr. Petulengro?' said Peter,
interrupting his wife, as she was about to speak. 'Master of the
horse-shoe,' said I; 'and, according to his own account, king of Egypt.'
'I understand,' said Peter, 'head of some family of wandering
Egyptians--they are a race utterly godless. Art thou of them?--but no,
thou art not, thou hast not their yellow blood. I suppose thou belongest
to the family of wandering artisans called ---. I do not like you the
worse for belonging to them. A mighty speaker of old sprang up from
amidst that family.' 'Who was he?' said I. 'John Bunyan,' replied
Peter, reverently, 'and the mention of his name reminds me that I have to
preach this day; wilt thou go and hear? the distance is not great, only
half a mile.' 'No,' said I, 'I will not go and hear.' 'Wherefore?' said
Peter. 'I belong to the church,' said I, 'and not to the congregations.'
'Oh! the pride of that church,' said Peter, addressing his wife in their
own tongue, 'exemplified even in the lowest and most ignorant of its
members. Then thou, doubtless, meanest to go to church,' said Peter,
again addressing me; 'there is a church on the other side of that wooded
hill.' 'No,' said I, 'I do not mean to go to church.' 'May I ask thee
wherefore?' said Peter. 'Because,' said I, 'I prefer remaining beneath
the shade of these trees, listening to the sound of the leaves and the
tinkling of the waters.'

'Then thou intendest to remain here?' said Peter, looking fixedly at me.
'If I do not intrude,' said I; 'but if I do, I will wander away; I wish
to be beholden to nobody--perhaps you wish me to go?' 'On the contrary,'
said Peter, 'I wish you to stay. I begin to see something in thee which
has much interest for me; but we must now bid thee farewell for the rest
of the day, the time is drawing nigh for us to repair to the place of
preaching; before we leave thee alone, however, I should wish to ask thee
a question--Didst thou seek thy own destruction yesterday, and didst thou
wilfully take that poison?' 'No,' said I; 'had I known there had been
poison in the cake I certainly should not have taken it.' 'And who gave
it thee?' said Peter. 'An enemy of mine,' I replied. 'Who is thy
enemy?' 'An Egyptian sorceress and poison-monger.' 'Thy enemy is a
female. I fear thou hadst given her cause to hate thee--of what did she
complain?' 'That I