nd heeds
what they say."

"That's bosh. You would have me believe against the evidence of my
senses!"

"You must have strange senses, Mr. Redmain, that give you evidence
where they can't possibly know anything! If that man spoke the truth
when he was in the world, he is near us now; if he is not near us,
there is an end of it all."

"The nearer he is, the worse for me!" sighed Mr. Redmain.

"The nearer he is, the better for the worst man that ever breathed."

"That's queer doctrine! Mind you, I don't say it mayn't be all right.
But it does seem a cowardly thing to go asking him to save you, after
you've been all your life doing what ought to damn you--if there be a
hell, mind you, that is."

"But think," said Mary, "if that should be your only chance of being
able to make up for the mischief you have done? No punishment you can
have will do anything for that. No suffering of yours will do anything
for those you have made suffer. But it is so much harder to leave the
old way than to go on and let things take their chance!"

"There may be something in what you say; but still I can't see it
anything better than sneaking, to do a world of mischief, and then
slink away into heaven, leaving all the poor wretches to look after
themselves."

"I don't think Jesus Christ is worse pleased with you for feeling like
that," said Mary.

"Eh? What? What's that you say?--Jesus Christ worse pleased with me?
That's a good one! As if he ever thought about a fellow like me!"

"If he did not, you would not be thinking about him just this minute, I
suspect. There's no sense in it, if he does not think about you. He
said himself he didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance."

"I wish I could repent."

"You can, if you will."

"I can't make myself sorry for what's gone and done with."

"No; it wants him to do that. But you can turn from your old ways, and
ask him to take you for a pupil. Aren't you willing to learn, if he be
willing to teach you?"

"I don't know. It's all so dull and stupid! I never could bear going to
church."

"It's not one bit like that! It's like going to your mother, and saying
you're going to try to be a good boy, and not vex her any more."

"I see. It's all right, I dare say! But I've had as much of it as I can
stand! You see, I'm not used to such things. You go away, and send
Mewks. Don't be far off, though, and mind you don't go home without
letting me know. There! Go along."