And religion ? his immortal soul ? It is true the
poor Salon is limited in his religious notions. He is
much concerned with the devil, whom he finds active
in many uncomfortable forms ; he has glimmerings of a
good spirit, whose power is unhappily, he finds, usurped
by the devil. But the world that might teach him
is itself oppressed with these burdens. Asked where
the spirits of evil reside, my cheerful friend to-day,
stretching forth his hands, replied : “ Everywhere ; in
the sea, in the air, in the forests, in the mountains ;
sometimes behind one island,” pointing vaguely to
Eliza, “ sometimes behind another,” pointing to Jane.
He spoke with conspicuous gaiety at the moment, but
a mental weariness crept over his eyes, as he answered
my unfamiliar questions. He grew bored, and his
fellow at the prow of their boat began to unfasten the
cane that bound it to the launch. They were beginning
to think me a dull person.
I hastily changed the subject, and with revived
interest they came on board the launch, and looked
into the engine-room and the cabin, making long-drawn,
clicking sounds, expressive of a certain limited wonderment.
The engine-room, they said, was hot, the sleeping-
places very fine, and an inner room, only partially
visible through a half-open door, filled them with a sense"
of mystery.
The ship, they said, moved with a screw ; but they
couldn’t say what made it revolve. One man was full
of cheeriness and curiosity, now that he was released
from the toils of theology, but the other was dull.
558