ss of wine, Willis; it's good Madeira;
an aunt of mine sent it me."

"He puts us to shame," said Charles, "who have stepped into church from
our bedroom; he has trudged a pilgrimage to his."

"I'm not saying a word against our dear friend Willis," said Bateman;
"it was merely a point on which I thought he would agree with me, that
there were many corruptions of worship in foreign churches."

At last, when his silence was observable, Willis said that he supposed
that persons who were not Catholics could not tell what were corruptions
and what not. Here the subject dropped again; for Willis did not seem in
humour--perhaps he was too tired--to continue it. So they ate and drank,
with nothing but very commonplace remarks to season their meal withal,
till the cloth was removed. The table was then shoved back a bit, and
the three young men got over the fire, which Bateman made burn brightly.
Two of them at least had deserved some relaxation, and they were the two
who were to be opponent and respondent in the approaching argument--one
had had a long walk, the other had had two full services, a baptism, and
a funeral. The armistice continued a good quarter of an hour, which
Charles and Willis spent in easy conversation; till Bateman, who had
been priming himself the while with his controversial points, found
himself ready for the assault, and opened it in form.

"Come, my dear Willis," he said, "I can't let you off so; I am sure what
you saw abroad scandalized you."

This was almost rudely put. Willis said that, had he been a Protestant,
he might have been easily shocked; but he had been a Catholic; and he
drew an almost imperceptible sigh. Besides, had he had a temptation to
be shocked, he should have recollected that he was in a Church which in
all greater matters could not err. He had not come to the Church to
criticize, he said, but to learn. "I don't know," he said, "what is
meant by saying that we ought to have faith, that faith is a grace,
that faith is the means of our salvation, if there is nothing to
exercise it. Faith goes against sight; well, then, unless there are
sights which offend you, there is nothing for it to go against."

Bateman called this a paradox; "If so," he said, "why don't we become
Mahometans? we should have enough to believe then."

"Why, just consider," said Willis; "supposing your friend, an honourable
man, is accused of theft, and appearances are against him, would you at
once admit the c