"I have a donation deed ready made out. You shall order one of your leudes to come in and sign the parchment as your witness--yonder hermit shall be my witness, and you will sign the document in their presence. The donation will then be in order and binding." "I consent to everything--have pity upon me. Order the devils back. Order them back! Oh! good father, order them away! Keep them from dragging me to hell!" "They will certainly drag you thither if you fail in your promise." "I shall keep all my promises." "Seeing that you are no longer in doubt of the power of the Lord," the bishop proceeded to say while he again stamped on the floor with his foot, "you may rise, count, open your eyes, the abyss of hell is closed again"; the slab had in the meantime been raised and adjusted in its former place. "Hermit, bring the parchment to me and writing materials. You shall be my witness." "I decline, seigneur bishop, to aid in the accomplishment of such a sacrilegious knavery," the hermit-laborer answered in Latin, "but if I reveal your trick to that barbarian he will put you to death! I shall not be the means of your death. God will one day judge you! In the meantime I shall raise my voice against your unworthy comedies." "What! Would you be capable of abusing your influence over the masses in order to incite them to a rebellion in my diocese? Is it a declaration of war that you make to me? Do you not know that the officers of the Church must stand by one another? Or is it some favor that you mean to draw from me through intimidation? Answer!" "To-morrow, before proceeding upon my journey, I shall tell you what I demand of you--" Cautin, who stood in awe of the hermit, rang a bell while the count, who remained upon his knees, still trembled at every limb, and mopped the cold sweat that inundated his forehead. At the bishop's call, the confidential servant appeared. The holy man said to him in Latin: "The hell was very satisfactory. Have the fires put out!" And he added in the Frankish tongue: "Order one of the count's leudes, one who can write, to step in. You shall come back with him; I shall need your services." The servant left, and the bishop addressed the kneeling Frank: "You have believed, you repent--you may now rise!" "My good father, I am afraid of returning to my burg to-night. The devils might come for me on the road and take me to hell. I am terror-stricken. Keep me in your house to-night!" "You shall be my guest until to-morrow. But I want the pretty blonde slave to be delivered to me this very evening. I promised her to my bishopess, who was once my wife according to the flesh, and is to-day my sister in God. She needs a young girl for her service--and I promised her that one. The sooner she has her, all the better pleased will she be." "And so, bishop," said the count scratching himself behind his ear, "you must have that blonde slave?" "Will you dare to break your engagement?"