A Sermon by Monsieur Tartuffe. 53 



common with them, and they did not court his 

 company. 



At last the spirit moved this solemn person to 

 disburden his soul to the landlady. He told her 

 that his fellow lodgers were two very bad young 

 men ; that he did not think it was his duty as a 

 Christian to stay in the same house with them ; that 

 from morning till night, on the Lord's day, they had 

 read books which no one but depraved heathens 

 would read ; that he had never seen them with the 

 Bible or " Pilgrim's Progress" in their hands ; that he 

 himself had been a long time in her house, and that 

 it was not a little that would make him leave it, but 

 that it would be an offence to his Master to stay and 

 sanction such proceedings. He concluded by saying 

 that she knew best herself what should be done, but 

 that he would advise her to remember that she would 

 one day have to answer for it, if she harboured in her 

 house two heathens fit to corrupt a whole countryside. 



The landlady told the lads of the sermon that had 

 been preached to her on their account. 



" Well," David said, " he has been a long time with 

 you, and may continue still longer, while we can only 

 be here for a month or so at most. To-night, when 

 work is over, we will look out for other lodgings." 



" No," said the landlady ; " you need not look for 

 other lodgings as long as you are satisfied with my 

 house. Let him go when he likes. I care not 

 although he leaves to-night. Do you know what he 

 wanted me to do the old hypocrite ? He bought 

 some old cheap oatmeal that he cannot eat himself, 

 and he wants me to sell it to you for good meal, and 



