Accordingly，whentheywenttotheobservatorythatnight，insteadofapplyinghiseyetothetelescopeintheaccustomedfashion，Godfreyrushedatthebusinesslikeabullatagate。AtfirstthePasteurwasentirelyconfused，especiallyasGodfreyspokeinEnglish，whichthepreceptormusttranslateintoFrenchinhisownmind。Bydegrees，however，hebecameextraordinarilyinterested，somuchsothatheletthenewpipegoout，andwhatwasveryrarewithhim，exceptinthemostmovingpassagesofhisownsermons，pushedthebluespectaclesfromhishighnoseupwards，tilltheycaughtuponthepatchofgrizzledhairwhichremaineduponhisbaldhead。
“Ah!“hesaid，answeringinFrench，whichbynowGodfreyunderstoodfairlywell，“thisistrulyexciting；atlastIcomeintouchwiththething。Know，Godfrey，thatyoufurnishmewithagreatoccasion。LonghaveIstudiedthis，whatyoucallit——demonology。OfitIknowmuch，thoughnotfromactualtouchtherewith。“
Thenhebegantotalkofgnosticism，andwitchcraft，and/Incubi/，and/Succubi/，andthedevelopmentsofmodernspiritualism，tillGodfreywasquitebewildered。Atlengthhepaused，relitthenewpipe，andsaid：
“Thesematterswewillstudyafterwards；theyare，Iassureyou，mostentertaining。Meanwhile，wehavetodealwithyourMadameRiennes。Allright，oh!quiteallright。Iwillbehermatch。Shewillnotmake/me/kissher，no，notatall，notatall!Betranquil，youngfriend，ifto-morrowyoufeeltheimpulsetogo，goyoushall，butIwillgowithyou。Thenwewillsee。Nowtobedandsleepwell。Forme，Imuststudy；Ihavemanybooksonthissubject，andtherearepointswhereonIwouldrefreshmyself。Benotafraid。IknowmuchofMadameRiennesandIwillleaveherflatasthat，“andwithsurprisingalacrityhejumpedonalargeblackbeetlewhich，unhappilyforitself，justthenranacrosstheobservatoryfloortoenjoythewarmthofthestove。
“Wait，“headded，asGodfreywasleaving。“Firstkneeldown，Ihavememoryoftheancientprayer，orifIforgetbits，Icanfillintheholes。“
Godfreyobeyedinaratherabjectfashion，whereontheoldPasteur，wavingthepipeabovehishead，fromwhichemergedlinesofbluesmokesuchasmighthavebeenaccessorytoanincantation，repeatedoverhimsomethinginLatin，that，owingtotheforeignaccent，hecouldnotintheleastunderstand。Itended，however，withthesignofthecrossmadewiththebowlofthepipe，whichthePasteurforgotstillremainedinhishand。
Fortifiedbytheaccessionofthisnewally，Godfreysleptfairlywell，tillwithinalittlewhileofdawn，whenhewasawakenedbyasoundofrapping。Atfirsthethoughtthattheseraps，whichseemedveryloudanddistinct，weremadebysomeoneknockingonthedoor，perhapstotellhimtherewasafire，andfaintlymurmured“/Entrez/。“
Thentohishorrorhebecameawarethattheyproceeded，notfromthedoor，butfromthebackofhiswoodenbedstead，immediatelyabovehim，andatthesametimerecollectedthathehadheardsimilarnoiseswhilesittingatthelittletableintheVillaOgilvy，whichthemysticsgatheredtheredeclaredwereproducedbyspirits。
Hishairroseuponhishead，acoldperspirationtrickleddownhim；heshookineverylimb。Hethoughtoflightingacandle，butreflectedthatitwasonthechestofdrawersattheothersideoftheroom，alsothathedidnotknowwherehehadputthematches。HethoughtofflyingtothePasteur，butrememberedthattodoso，firsthemustgetoutofbed，andperhapsexposehisbarelegstotheassaultofghostlyhands，andnextthat，toreachthechamberofMonsieurandMadameBoiset，hemustpassthroughthesanctuaryoftheroomoccupiedbyJuliette。Sohecompromisedbyretiringundertheclothes，muchasatortoisedrawsitsheadintoitsshell。
Thisexpedientprovedquiteuseless，fortherebeneaththeblanketstherapssoundedlouderthanever。Moreover，ofasuddenthebedseemedtobefilledwithacoldandunnaturalair，whichblewallabouthim，especiallyuponhishands，thoughhetriedtoprotectthesebyplacingthemunderhisback。NowGodfreyknewsomethingoftheinadequateandclumsymethodsaffectedbyallegedcommunicatingspirits，andhalfautomaticallybegantorepeatthealphabet。WhenhegottotheletterI，therewasaloudrap。Hebeganagain，andatA
cameanotherrap。Oncemorehetried，forsomethingseemedtomakehimdoso，andwasstoppedatM。
“Iam，“hemurmured，andrecommenceduntiltheword“here“wasspeltout，afterwhichcamethreerapidrapstosignifyafullstop。
“Whoishere？“heaskedinhisownmind，atthesametimedeterminingthathewouldleaveitatthat。Itwasofnouseatall，fortheotherpartyevidentlyintendedtogoon。
Therewasaperfectrainofraps，onthebed，offthebed，onthefloor，evenonthejugbythewashstand；indeed，hethoughtthatthisandotherarticleswerebeingmovedabouttheroom。Tostopthismultiformassaultoncemorehetookrefugeinthealphabet，withtheresultthattherapsunmistakablyspelttheword“Eleanor。“
“GreatHeavens!“hethoughttohimself，“thatdreadfulspiritgirlhere，inmybedroom!Howcanshe？Itismostimproper，butIdon’tsupposeshecaresasouforthat。“
Inhisdespairandalarmhetuckedtheclothestightlyroundhim，andthrustingouthishead，saidintremblingaccents：
“Pleasegoaway。YouknowIneveraskedyoutocome，andreallyitisn’tright，“remarkswhichhethought，though，likealltherest，thismayhavebeenfancy，werefollowedbyasoundofghostlylaughter。Whatwasmore，thebedclothessuddenlyslippedoffhim，or——
ohhorror!perhapstheywerepulledoff。Atanyrate，theywent，andwhennexthesawthemtheywerelyinginaheapbythesideofthebed。
Thenitwouldseemthathefainted，overcomebytheseterrors，realorimaginary。Atanyrate，whenheopenedhiseyesagainitwastoseethedaylightcreepingintotheroomneverbeforehadheappreciatedsothoroughlythebeautiesofthedawnandtofindhimselflyinghalffrozenonthebedwiththepillow，whichhewasclaspingaffectionately，forhissolecovering。
Atbreakfastthatmorninghelookedsopeculiaranddilapidated，thatMadameandJuliettemadetenderinquiriesastohishealth，towhichherepliedthathisbedclotheshadcomeoffinthenightandthecoldhadgivenhimachill“inthemiddle。“Theywereverysympathetic，anddosedhimwithhot/café-au-lait/，butthePasteur，studyinghimthroughthebluespectacles，said，“Ah，isitso？“inakindoftriumphanttonewhichMadamedesignatedas“/bête/。“Indeed，tothoseunacquaintedwithwhatwaspassinginM。Boiset’smind，itmusthaveseemedparticularlystupid。
WhenbreakfastwasoverhepossessedhimselfofGodfrey，andledhimtotheobservatory，wherethestovewasalreadylit，thoughthiswasnotusualinthedaytime，especiallyonSundays。
“Now，myboy，tellmeallaboutit，“hesaid，andGodfreytoldhim，feeblysuggestingthatitmighthavebeenanightmare。
“Nightmare!Nonsense。ThewitchRienneshassentherdemontotormentyou，thatisall。Ithoughtshewould。Itisquiteaccordingtorule，amostclearandexcellentcase。Indeed，I/am/aluckystudent。“
“Idon’tbelieveinwitches，“saidGodfrey，“Ialwaysheardtheywererubbish。“
“Ah!Idon’tknow。HereinthemountainstheseSwisspeoplebelieveinthem，andtellstrangestories，someofwhichIhaveheardastheirPasteur，especiallywhenIheldofficeamongtheHighAlps。AlsotheBiblespeaksofthemoften，doesitnot，andwhatwas，is，andshallbe，asSolomonsays。Oh!whyhesitate？Withoutdoubtthiswomanisawitchwhoposesasaninnocentmodernspiritualist。Butsheshallnotsendherprettyfemaledevilafteryouagain，forIwillmakethatroomimpossibletoher。“
“Pleasedo，“saidGodfrey。“AndasforMadameRiennes，itiscertainlystrangethatsheshouldhaveknownaboutthethingsIhadinmypockettheotherday，althoughofcourse，shemayhavefollowedmeintotheshops。“
“Yes，yes，shefollowedyouintotheshops，sheorherdemon，thoughperhapsyouwouldnotseeherthere。Whatdidyoutellme？ThatinthevillayouthoughtthatthedeadMademoisellewaswarningyouagainstsomething？Well，perhapsshewas，forshewasagoodwoman，thoughweakandfoolishtotrusttospiritualism，andnow，withoutdoubt，sheseesall，andwouldprotectyouofwhomsheisfond。“
“ThenIwishshehaddoneitalittlebetter，“saidGodfrey。“Oh!
listen，there’sarap!“
Araptherewascertainly，onthehotironofthestove，aresonant，ringingrap。ThePasteuradvancedandmadeanexamination，andwhilehewasdoingsotherecameanother。Whatismore，inamostinexplicablefashionhisbluespectaclesflewfromhisnose。Verysolemnlyhefoundandreplacedthemandthen，withtheutmostdignity，addressinghimselftothestove，hecursedandexorcisedthatarticleofdomesticfurnitureinhisbestmedi？valLatin。Apparentlytheeffortwassuccessful，fortherewerenomoremanifestations。
“Listen，myboy。Youdonotpartfrommethisday。Presentlywegotochurch，andyousitundermewhereIcankeepmyeyeonyou。Ifyoumakeonemovementtowardsthedoor，Idescendfromthedeskorthepulpit，andtakeyoubacktherewithme。“
“Idon’twanttomove，“saidGodfrey。
“No，butthereareotherswhomaywanttomoveyou。Thenafterchurchwedine，andafterdinnerwetakeanicewalkthroughthewoodsarminarm。Yes，perhapswegoasfarasLucerneandpayalittlevisitthere，sincethisafternoonIhavearrangedthatthereisnoservice。“
SoGodfreywenttochurchandsatunderthecold，blueglareofthePasteur’sspectacles，listeningtoareallyeloquentsermon，forhispreachingwasexcellent。HetookhistextfromthestoryofSaulandthewitchofEndor，andafterdwellingonitanditsmoral，openedupthewholeproblemofthehiddeninfluenceswhichmay，andprobablydo，affectthehumansoul。Hegaveashortbutlearnedaccountofthehistoryofdemonologythroughouttheages，whichevidentlyhehadathisfingers’ends。Hedistinguishedbetweengoodandevilspirits，andwhilenotdenyingthelawfulnessofsuchresearch，pointedouttheperilthattheseekerran，sinceinhisquestforthegoodhemightfindtheevil。Finally，hedemonstratedthattherewasasurerefugefromallsuchdemoniacalattacks，whichthosewhosufferedfromthemhadbuttoseek。
Madamedozedduringthissermon。Juliettewonderedwhathadsentherfatherdownthatroad，andthelittlecongregation，thoseofthemwhounderstood，thoughtitapleasantchangefromhisusualdiscourseupontheirsins，sincetheyatleasthadneverpractiseddemonology。ButtoGodfrey，towhom，indeed，itwasaddressed，itbroughtmuchcomfort，forinthePasteurandhispureandbeautifuldoctrine，hesawarockonwhichhemightstandsecure，defyingMadameRiennesandEleanor，andallthehostsofhellbehindthem。