ble and hanging myself; and perhaps it's the best thing I can do, for
it's better to hang myself before selling my soul than afterwards, as I'm
sure I should, like Judas Iscariot, whom my poor niece, who is somewhat
religiously inclined, has been talking to me about." "I wish I could
assist you," said I, "with money, but that is quite out of my power.
However, I can give you a piece of advice. Don't change your religion by
any means; you can't hope to prosper if you do; and if the brewer chooses
to deal hardly with you, let him. Everybody would respect you ten times
more provided you allowed yourself to be turned into the roads rather
than change your religion, than if you got fifty pounds for renouncing
it." "I am half inclined to take your advice," said the landlord, "only,
to tell you the truth, I feel quite low, without any heart in me." "Come
into the bar," said I, "and let us have something together--you need not
be afraid of my not paying for what I order."

We went into the bar-room, where the landlord and I discussed between us
two bottles of strong ale, which he said were part of the last six which
he had in his possession. At first he wished to drink sherry, but I
begged him to do no such thing, telling him that the sherry would do him
no good, under the present circumstances; nor, indeed, to the best of my
belief under any, it being of all wines the one for which I entertained
the most contempt. The landlord allowed himself to be dissuaded, and,
after a glass or two of ale, confessed that sherry was a sickly
disagreeable drink, and that he had merely been in the habit of taking it
from an idea he had that it was genteel. Whilst quaffing our beverage,
he gave me an account of the various mortifications to which he had of
late been subject, dwelling with particular bitterness on the conduct of
Hunter, who, he said, came every night and mouthed him, and afterwards
went away without paying for what he had drank or smoked, in which
conduct he was closely imitated by a clan of fellows who constantly
attended him. After spending several hours at the public-house I
departed, not forgetting to pay for the two bottles of ale. The
landlord, before I went, shaking me by the hand, declared that he had now
made up his mind to stick to his religion at all hazards, the more
especially as he was convinced he should derive no good by giving it up.
{337}

CHAPTER XXX.--PREPARATIONS FOR THE FAIR--THE LAST LESSON