THE GIRL "POSSESSED WITH A DEVIL." 123 



entered a tolerably sized room, oppressively hot, and 

 full of people on their knees, both men and women. 

 It was lighted by two candles on a table, at which 

 three men were seated, with open books, reading aloud 

 the Roman Catholic prayer, " Blessed art thou, Maria," 

 which all the people repeated after them ; when it was 

 ended, they began again. 



Although it was only May, the heat was so great 

 from the number of people that I felt half-boiled ; but 

 it seemed much warmer to the poor creature, who was 

 being made a sacrifice to the demon of absurdity. She 

 was lying in a wide bed in the corner opposite to the 

 table, and was said to be seventeen years old ; I should 

 have guessed her nearer thirty-seven. She appeared to 

 be very weak and ailing, and no wonder, considering 

 that the praying went on night and day without inter- 

 mission : her mother leant over her, wiping away from 

 her brow the perspiration arising from the heat of the 

 room. 



It may have been about seven o'clock when we 

 entered this sepulchre of reason and common sense, 

 and it was ten before we succeeded in making our way 

 out ; and the whole time was occupied with a mono- 

 tonous repetition of the same prayer, offered up, as a 

 little Alsatian lightly whispered to me, " To drive out 

 the devil in order that she may recover." The devil 

 in question must certainly have been one of the most 

 obstinate that ever existed, for had I been in his place, 

 such proceedings would have driven me out long ago. 

 It was a real luxury to inhale the pure night air, after 

 escaping from such a pestilential hole. I have never 

 heard since what became of the poor woman. 



