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 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