THE PROSCRIBED. 257 



preaching to the multitude, saying that she was in Heaven and saw 

 God. Well, from that day I have never been able to sleep in my 

 bed. The old gentleman who sleeps above me is certainly more a 

 sorcerer than a Christian. I feel, upon the word of a sergeant, a cold 

 shudder when he passes by me. He never sleeps during the night. 

 If I awake, his voice sounds like the humming of bells at a little 

 distance, and I hear him making his conjurations in a diabolical 

 language. Hast thou ever seen him eat an honest crust of bread, or 

 a cake made by the hand of a Catholic pastry-cook. That brown 

 skin of his has been dried and tanned by the fires below. There is, 

 by the light of Heaven, a charm in his eyes like that of a serpent. 

 Jacqueline, I will not allow these two men to remain in my house. 

 I live too near to Justice not to know that one ought never to have 

 any dealings with her. Thou wilt dismiss our two lodgers, that is, 

 turn them out of doors, if they are not disposed to go ; the old one, 

 because I have a suspicion of him ; the young one, because he is too 

 delicate and engaging. They certainly are not at all like us, and 

 do not live after our manner. The young one is always looking at 

 the moon, the stars, and the clouds, like a sorcerer on the watch for 

 the hour to mount upon his broomstick. The other, a sly old fox, 

 certainly makes use of this poor child for some necromancy or sor- 

 cery. My dwelling is already on the sands, and it is a sufficient 

 prognostic of ruin without attracting to it either fire from Heaven, 

 or the passion of a Countess. I have said it. Stumble not! Fail 

 not!" 



In spite of the domestic despotism which she so uninterruptedly 

 exercised, Jacqueline was struck dumb and stupified on hearing the 

 sort'of indictment fulminated by the sergeant against her two lodgers. 

 At this instant, she cast her eyes mechanically towards the window 

 of the old man's chamber, and shuddered with horror, when they 

 encountered, at the very moment, the sombre, melancholy counte- 

 nance, and profound glance, which made the sergeant tremble, all 

 accustomed as he was to look upon criminals. At this epoch, little 

 and great, high and low, clergy and laity, all trembled at the idea of 

 supernatural power exercised by men. The single word of magic 

 was sufficient, like that, in ancient times, of leprosy, to crush every 

 kindly feeling, break all social ties, and congeal the sentiment of 

 pity in the most generous hearts. The sergeant's wife remembered, 

 in an instant, that she had never seen her two lodgers engaged in 

 any act immediately belonging to human creatures. Although the 

 voice of the younger of the two was soft and melodious as the tones 

 of a flute, she had heard it so rarely, that she was then tempted to 

 consider its charm as the effect of sorcery. In bringing to mind the 

 unusual style of his beauty (that of the rose and lily blended ); in 

 imagining that she saw again his fair ringlets, and the humid bril- 

 liancy of his sparkling glance, she imagined that she recognised the 

 artifices of the arch-demon. She remembered to have remained 

 entire days without having heard the slightest sound from the apart- 

 ments of the two strangers. Where could they be during these long 

 periods ? In an instant, the most extraordinary circumstances pre- 

 sented themselves in crowds to her memory. She was completely 



