Itwasnotverylongbeforethenameofthemagicianwhohadworkedthiswonderbegantobementionedquiteopenly:Satan，itwassaid，haddrawnUrbainGrandierintohispower，throughhispride。UrbainhadenteredintoapactwiththeEvilSpiritbywhichhehadsoldhimhissoulinreturnforbeingmadethemostlearnedmanonearth。Now，asUrbain\'sknowledgewasmuchgreaterthanthatoftheinhabitantsofLoudun，thisstorygainedgeneralcredenceinthetown，althoughhereandtherewastobefoundamansufficientlyenlightenedtoshrughisshouldersattheseabsurdities，andtolaughatthemummeries，ofwhichasyethesawonlytheridiculousside，ForthenexttenortwelvedaysMignonandBarrespentthegreaterpartoftheirtimeattheconvent；sometimesremainingthereforsixhoursatastretch，sometimestheentireday。
Atlength，onMonday，the11thofOctober，1632，theywrotetothepriestofVenier，toMessireGuillaumeCerisaydelaGueriniere，bailiffoftheLoudenois，andtoMessireLouisChauvet，civillieutenant，beggingthemtovisittheUrsulineconvent，inordertoexaminetwonunswhowerepossessedbyevilspirits，andtoverifythestrangeandalmostincrediblemanifestationsofthispossession。Beingthusformallyappealedto，thetwomagistratescouldnotavoidcompliancewiththerequest。Itmustbeconfessedthattheywerenotfreefromcuriosity，andfeltfarfromsorryatbeingabletogettothebottomofthemysteryofwhichforsometimethewholetownwastalking。
Theyrepaired，therefore，totheconvent，intendingtomakeathoroughinvestigationastotherealityofthepossessionandastotheefficacyoftheexorcismsemployed。Shouldtheyjudgethatthenunswerereallypossessed，andthatthosewhotriedtodeliverthemwereinearnest，theywouldauthorisethecontinuationoftheeffortsatexorcism；butiftheywerenotsatisfiedonthesetwopoints，theywouldsoonputanendtothewholethingasacomedy。Whentheyreachedthedoor，Mignon，wearingalbandstole，cametomeetthem。Hetoldthemthatthefeelingsofthenunshadformorethantwoweeksbeenharrowedbytheapparitionofspectresandotherblood-curdlingvisions，thatthemothersuperiorandtwonunshadevidentlybeenpossessedbyevilspiritsforoveraweek；thatowingtotheeffortsofBarreandsameCarmelitefriarswhoweregoodenoughtoassisthimagainsttheircommonenemies，thedevilshadbeentemporarilydrivenout，butonthepreviousSundaynight，the10thofOctober，themothersuperior，JeannedeBelfield，whoseconventualnamewasJeannedesAnges，andalaysistercalledJeanneDumagnoux，hadagainbeenenteredintobythesamespirits。Ithad，however，beendiscoveredbymeansofexorcismsthatanewcompact，ofwhichthesymbolandtokenwasabunchofroses，hadbeenconcluded，thesymbolandtokenofthefirsthavingbeenthreeblackthorns。Headdedthatduringthetimeofthefirstpossessionthedemonshadrefusedtogivetheirnames，butbythepowerofhisexorcismsthisreluctancehadbeenovercome，thespiritwhichhadresumedpossessionofthemothersuperiorhavingatlengthrevealedthatitsnamewasAshtaroth，oneofthegreatestenemiesofGod，whilethedevilwhichhadenteredintothelaysisterwasofalowerorder，andwascalledSabulon。Unfortunately，continuedMignon，justnowthetwoafflictednunswereresting，andherequestedthebailiffandthecivillieutenanttoputofftheirinspectiontillalittlelater。Thetwomagistrateswerejustabouttogoaway，whenanunappeared，sayingthatthedevilswereagaindoingtheirworstwiththetwointowhomtheyhadentered。
Consequently，theyaccompaniedMignonandthepriestfromVeniertoanupperroom，inwhichweresevennarrowbeds，ofwhichtwoonlywereoccupied，onebythemothersuperiorandtheotherbythelaysister。Thesuperior，whowasthemorethoroughlypossessedofthetwo，wassurroundedbytheCarmelitemonks，thesistersbelongingtotheconvent，MathurinRousseau，priestandcanonofSainte-Croix，andMannouri，asurgeonfromthetown。
Nosoonerdidthetwomagistratesjointheothersthanthesuperiorwasseizedwithviolentconvulsions，writhingandutteringsquealsinexactimitationofasuckingpig。Thetwomagistrateslookedoninprofoundastonishment，whichwasgreatlyincreasedwhentheysawthepatientnowburyherselfinherbed，nowspringrightoutofit，thewholeperformancebeingaccompaniedbysuchdiabolicalgesturesandgrimacesthat，iftheywerenotquiteconvincedthatthepossessionwasgenuine，theywereatleastfilledwithadmirationofthemannerinwhichitwassimulated。Mignonnextinformedthebailiffandthecivillieutenant，thatalthoughthesuperiorhadneverlearnedLatinshewouldreplyinthatlanguagetoallthequestionsaddressedtoher，ifsuchweretheirdesire。Themagistratesansweredthatastheywerethereinordertoexaminethoroughlyintothefactsofthecase，theybeggedtheexorciststogivethemeverypossibleproofthatthepossessionwasreal。Uponthis，Mignonapproachedthemothersuperior，and，havingorderedeveryonetobesilent，placedtwoofhisfingersinhermouth，and，havinggonethroughtheformofexorcismprescribedbytheritual，heaskedthefollowingquestionswordforwordastheyaregiven，D。Whyhaveyouenteredintothebodyofthisyounggirl？