book of laws. If you admit me, you need have no more waking, no more
watching."

Here Parley involuntarily slipped back the bolt of the door.

"To convince you of my true love," continued Flatterwell, "I have
brought a bottle of the most delicious wine that grows in the
wilderness. You shall taste it; but you must put a glass through the
wicket to receive it; for it is a singular property in this wine, that
we of the wilderness cannot succeed in conveying it to you of the
castle, without you hold out a vessel to receive it."

"O here is a glass," said Parley, holding out a large goblet, which he
always kept ready to be filled by any chance comer.

The other immediately poured into the capacious goblet a large draught
of that delicious intoxicating liquor with which the family of the
Flatterwells have, for near six thousand years, gained the hearts and
destroyed the souls of all the inhabitants of the castle, whenever
they have been able to prevail on them to hold out a hand to receive
it. This the wise master of the castle well knew would be the case,
for he knew what was in men--he knew their propensity to receive the
delicious poison of the Flatterwells; and it was for this reason that
he gave them the book of his laws, and planted the hedge, and invented
the bolts, and doubled the locks.

As soon as poor Parley had swallowed the fatal draught it acted like
enchantment. He at once lost all power of resistance. He had no sense
of fear left. He despised his own safety, forgot his master, lost all
sight of the house in the other country, and reached out for another