“He was like Solomon. His wives led away his heart. Three such were far too many for an ascetic. They helped to turn his brain. Yet it is strange,” he continued, smiling, “that he should come to form such a fine conception of the Devil and underrate the Godhead.”
“He was prejudiced in his favour,” I replied.
“The Devil’s favour?”
“No. The Godhead’s.”
“I see. It’s a bad thing to be prejudiced—it can get one into hobbles. Are you sleepy?”
“By no means.”
“Then suppose you come with me. We can spend the night in visiting some prisoners, for, like all my visits, this is of short duration.”
Now visiting prisoners was of all things least pleasant to me. I remembered my terrible experience of the afternoon and also its results on myself. Moreover, I knew that I should find no relaxation afterwards from the misery it engendered. But I had no excuse beyond my own personal feelings, and such things were unrecognised here, so I followed him with a grim, stony feeling rising within me, caused by solitude and imprisonment.
He passed his arm through mine.
“It is really quite a pleasure to meet you once more,” he declared as we went towards the gloomy doorway. “Because though you may not think it, I miss you greatly on the earth.”