“Ah!” said St.-Ange, “c’est bery true. For you it would be a sin, mais for me it is only ’abit. Rilligion is a very strange; I know a man one time, he thing it was wrong to go to cockfight Sunday evening. I thing it is all ’abit. Mais, come, Posson Jone’; I have got one friend, Miguel; led us go at his house and ged some coffee. Come; Miguel have no familie; only him and Joe—always like to see friend; allons, led us come yonder.”

“Why, Jools, my dear friend, you know,” said the shame-faced parson, “I never visit on Sundays.”

“Never w’at?” asked the astounded Creole.

“No,” said Jones, smiling awkwardly. “Never visite?”

“Exceptin’ sometimes amongst church members,” said Parson Jones.

“Mais,” said the seductive St.-Ange, “Miguel and Joe is church member’—certainlee! They love to talk about rilligion. Come at Miguel and talk about some rilligion. I am nearly expire for me coffee.

Parson Jones took his hat from beneath his chair and rose up.

“Jools,” said the weak giant, “I ought to be in church right now.”

“Mais, the church is right yonder at Miguel’, yes. Ah!” continued St.-Ange, as they descended the stairs, “I thing every man muz have the rilligion he like’ the bez—me, I like the Catholique rilligion the bez—for me it is the bez. Every man will sure go to heaven if he like his rilligion the bez.”

“Jools,” said the West Floridian, laying his great hand tenderly upon the Creole’s shoulder, as they stepped out upon the banquette, “do you think you have any shore hopes of heaven?”

“Yass!” replied St.-Ange; “I am sure-sure. I thing everybody will go to heaven. I thing you will go, et I thing Miguel will go, et Joe—everybody, I thing—mais, hof course, not if they not have been christen’. Even I thing some niggers will go.”

“Jools,” said the parson, stopping in his walk—“Jools, I don’t want to lose my niggah.”

“You will not loose him. With Baptiste he cannot ged loose.” But Colossus’ master was not reassured.

“Now,” said he, still tarrying, “this is jest the way; had I of gone to church—”

“Posson Jone’,” said Jules.

“What?”

“I tell you. We goin’ to church!”

“Will you?” asked Jones joyously.

“Allons, come along,” said Jules, taking his elbow.

They walked down the Rue Chartres, passed several corners, and by and by turned into a cross street. The parson stopped an instant as they were turning, and looked back up the street.

“W’at you lookin’?” asked his companion.

“I thought I saw Colossus,” answered the parson, with an anxious face; “I reckon ’twan’t him, though.” And they went on.