scarce a thing amongst them?--and were the properties of warm water
so unknown to them, that they could not close a pair of eyes and
open them?"

"It's a pity," said I, "that the British clergy at that interview
with Austin, did not bring forward a blind Welshman, and ask the
monk to operate upon him."

"Clearly," said the man in black; "that's what they ought to have
done; but they were fools without a single resource." Here he took
a sip at his glass.

"But they did not believe in the miracle?" said I.

"And what did their not believing avail them?" said the man in
black. "Austin remained master of the field, and they went away
holding their heads down, and muttering to themselves. What a fine
subject for a painting would be Austin's opening the eyes of the
Saxon barbarian, and the discomfiture of the British clergy! I
wonder it has not been painted!--he! he!"

"I suppose your church still performs miracles occasionally!" said
I.

"It does," said the man in black. "The Rev.--has lately been
performing miracles in Ireland, destroying devils that had got
possession of people; he has been eminently successful. In two
instances he not only destroyed the devils, but the lives of the
people possessed--he! he! Oh! there is so much energy in our
system; we are always at work, whilst Protestantism is supine."