“You shall pardon me, my patron; it is not yet twelve, and twelve precise is just our planetary hours; and I could show you de spirit vary well, in de meanwhile, just for pleasure. You see I would draw a pentagon within a circle, which is no trouble at all, and make my suffumigation within it, and dere we would be like in one strong castle, and you would hold de sword while I did say de needful worts. Den you should see de solid wall open like de gate of ane city, and den--let me see--ay, you should see first one stag pursued by three black greyhounds, and they should pull him down as they do at de elector’s great hunting-match; and den one ugly, little, nasty black negro should appear and take de stag from them--and paf--all should be gone; den you should hear horns winded dat all de ruins should ring--mine wort, they should play fine hunting piece, as goot as him you call’d Fischer with his oboi; vary well--den comes one herald, as we call Ernhold, winding his horn--and den come de great Peolphan, called de mighty Hunter of de North, mounted on hims black steed. But you would not care to see all this?” * * Note F. Witchcraft. “Why, I am not afraid,” answered the poor Baronet,--“if--that is--does anything--any great mischiefs, happen on such occasions?” “Bah! mischiefs? no!--sometimes if de circle be no quite just, or de beholder be de frightened coward, and not hold de sword firm and straight towards him, de Great Hunter will take his advantage, and drag him exorcist out of de circle and throttle him. Dat does happens.” “Well then, Dousterswivel, with every confidence in my courage and your skill, we will dispense with this apparition, and go on to the business of the night.” “With all mine heart--it is just one thing to me--and now it is de time--hold you de sword till I kindle de little what you call chip.” Dousterswivel accordingly set fire to a little pile of chips, touched and prepared with some bituminous substance to make them burn fiercely; and when the flame was at the highest, and lightened, with its shortlived glare, all the ruins around, the German flung in a handful of perfumes which produced a strong and pungent odour. The exorcist and his pupil both were so much affected as to cough and sneeze heartily; and, as the vapour floated around the pillars of the building, and penetrated every crevice, it produced the same effect on the beggar and Lovel. “Was that an echo?” said the Baronet, astonished at the sternutation which resounded from above; “or”--drawing close to the adept, “can it be the spirit you talked of, ridiculing our attempt upon his hidden treasures?” “N--n--no,” muttered the German, who began to partake of his pupil’s terrors, “I hope not.”