It is hard, very hard, that religion should have to bear the reproach of the whims, vagaries, bigotry, and fanaticism of many, who are sincere in their profession and honest in their intemperate zeal; but it is doubly hard that a set of coxcomical greenhorns, who scarcely know the difference between the Bible and the Koran, who cannot tell why they believe, and who do not care what they believe, who never enter a church, and who never doubt because they never think, it is doubly hard that all their impertinent arrogance should be laid to the charge of a religion which has never influenced one action of their lives, or one thought of their hearts. Finding that Mr Darnley the elder would not listen to or be influenced by any recantation of his calumny, the critic next sought for the young gentleman to whom he made known the fact of the arrival of Mr Primrose at Smatterton. During the visit, which the loyal and religious Zephaniah Pringle paid at Smatterton, there had been comparatively little intercourse between him and Robert Darnley. This was owing to two causes: in the first place, Robert Darnley was in low spirits, and had not much intercourse with any one; and, in the second place, he had a contempt for puppyism, and Zephaniah had wit enough to see that he had. In the present instance it was an object with Mr Pringle to correct any erroneous notion which he might have conveyed to the mind of Mr Robert Darnley; he therefore began the conversation. "I think I must have been in an error when I informed you, as you may remember, that Miss Primrose was living with Lord Spoonbill." "Very likely you were, sir," replied Mr Robert Darnley, somewhat abruptly; "but did you not insinuate to me that you had the information from Lord Spoonbill himself?" This question was perplexing to the critic. He had insinuated as much, but he had not absolutely said so. Therefore he could not promptly reply in the negative, but was forced to make use of a little circumlocution, saying: "Why not exactly so; I did not say that Lord Spoonbill himself told me in so many words: I merely--I said---that is--a very intimate friend of Spoonbill said, that he thought--that is, he understood that--I believe he said that he had reason to suspect that some arrangement was likely to be made--" Thereupon the explanation tapered off into an indistinct muttering that was sufficient, if for no other purpose, at least to show that Mr Zephaniah Pringle was a sneaking, shuffling, contemptible fellow. Robert Darnley was not in the habit of flying into a violent passion when he felt contempt for any meanness of character or conduct; if such had been his temperament, the present was an occasion, all circumstances being considered, strong enough to tempt him to knock a fool's head and the wall together. He contented himself with coolly saying: "It is a great pity, sir, that you should have circulated a report of that nature before you were quite certain that it was true."