Bob Skinny then branched off into denunciation of the other negroes at Deerchase, to whom he fancied himself as much superior as if he were a being on a higher planet. There was war to the knife between them naturally, which was very much heightened by Bob’s being a “backslider.” Bob had been in the habit of “gittin’ ’ligion” regularly once a year at the revival meetings until Skelton took him to Europe. As the result of his “trabels” he had taken up the notion, which was not entirely unknown among his betters, that it was more elegant and _recherché_ to be without a religion than to have one. Consequently, Bob returned full of infinite contempt for the Hard-shell Baptists, the shouting Methodists, and all the other religions that flourished among the negroes. “You see, Miss Sylvy,” he explained argumentatively, “now I done see de worl’ an’ kin read an’ wrote an’ play on de fluke, what I want wid dis heah nigger ’ligion? I’se a philosopher.” Bob brought this out magnificently. “I say ter dem niggers, ‘What is it in ’ligion? Nuttin’ ’tall. What is it in philosophy? De truf, de whole truf, an’ nuttin’ but de truf.’ I ain’ seen none on ’em yit kin answer my argufyin’.” After a while old Tom and Skelton came into the greenhouse, where Bob was still holding forth and giving the botanical names of the plants according to his own vernacular, but Bob shut up promptly as soon as Skelton appeared. Sylvia’s hands were full of flowers, given her by Lewis. The two had got very intimate now, and Lewis wore an air of boyish triumph. It was not worth while for Skelton to offer her any flowers if he had desired, she had so many. They had walked over from Belfield across the bridge, and when they started to return Skelton and Lewis walked with them, Lewis still hanging about Sylvia, so that Skelton, who had meant to walk home with her, was entirely thrown out. On the way they met Bulstrode lumbering across the lawn with a book in his hand. Sylvia stopped and spoke to him pleasantly. He remained looking after her, watching her slight figure as she went across the bridge, still gallantly escorted by Lewis. “I wonder if she would have jilted Skelton as Mrs. Blair did,” he thought. CHAPTER IX.