It may be imagined that Hazlet was no favourite companion of Julian Home. But Julian loved and honoured to the utmost of his power the good points of all; he had a deep and real veneration for humanity, and rarely allowed himself an unkind expression, or a look which indicated ennui, even to those associates by whose presence he was most unspeakably bored. Hazlet mistook his courteous manner for a deferential agreement, and was, too often, in Julian's presence more than usually insufferable in his Pharisaical tendencies. "Good heavens!" said Kennedy, who saw Hazlet coming across the court. "Who's this, Home? He looks as if he had been just presiding at three conventicles and a meeting at Philadelphus Hall. Surely he can't be coming here." "Oh, yes," said Julian, "that's a compatriot of mine named Hazlet; a very good fellow, I believe, though rather obtrusive perhaps." "Good morning, Home," said Hazlet, in a measured and sanctified tone, as he entered the room and sat down. Kennedy glanced impatiently at the Aeschylus. "Ah! I see you're engaged on that heathen poet. It often strikes me, Home, that we may be wrong after all in spending so much time on these works of men, who, as Saint Paul tells us, were `wholly given to idolatry.' I have just come from a most refreshing meeting at--" "I say, Home," cut in Kennedy hastily, "shall I go? I suppose you won't do over any more of the Agamemnon this morning." "I don't know," said Julian; "perhaps Hazlet will join us in our construe." "No, I think not," said Hazlet, with a compassionate sigh. "I have looked at it; but some of it appeared to me so pagan in its sentiments that I contented myself with praying that I might not be put on. But you haven't told me what you think about what I was saying." "Botheration," said Kennedy; "so your theory is that Christianity was intended to put an extinguisher over the light of heaven-born genius, and that the power and passion and wisdom of Aeschylus came from himself or the devil, and not from God? Surely, without any further argument on such an absurd proposition, it ought to be sufficient for you that this kind of learning forms a part of your immediate duty." "I find other duties more paramount--now prayer, for instance, and talk with sound friends." "Phew!!!" whistled Kennedy, thoroughly disgusted at language which was as new to him as it was distasteful; and, to relieve his feelings, he abandoned the conversation to Julian, and began to turn over the books on the table. Julian, however, seemed quite disinclined to enter into the question, and after a pause, Hazlet, gracefully waiving his little triumph, asked him with a peculiar unction-- "And how goes it, my dear Home, with your immortal soul?" "My soul!" said Julian carelessly. "Oh! it's all right." Hazlet then began to look at Julian's pictures. "Ah," he observed with a deep sigh, "I'm sorry to see that you have the portrait of so unsound, so dangerous a man as Mr Vere."