Thencamedinner。ItwastowardsthemiddleofthismealthatGodfreybegantofeelveryillatease。Hefidgeted，helookedtowardsthedoor，hehalfroseandsatdownagain。
“Doyouperchancewishtogoout？“askedthePasteur，whowaskeepinghimunderconstantobservation。
“Whatofitifhedoes？“interruptedMadame。“DidnotMonsieurGodfreyinformusthathewasunwell？Gothen，MonsieurGodfrey。“
“No，notso，“saidthePasteur。“Remainseated。InoneminuteIwillbereadytoaccompanyyou。“
“/MonDieu!/whatfor？“exclaimedMadame。“NeverdidIhearofsuchathing，“whileevenJuliettelookedamazed。
MeanwhileGodfreyhadrisenandwasmakingforthedoor，withafixedandsicklysmileuponhisface。ThePasteurswalloweddownhis/vinordinaire/andrushedafterhim。
“Heisill，“saidJuliette，withsympathy，“alldayhehaslookedstrange。“
“Perhaps，“saidMadame。“Thatsermonofyourfather’swasenoughtoturnanybody’sstomach，withhistalkaboutdevilsandwitches。Butwhycannotheleavehimalone？Adoctorinsuchacaseperhaps，butaclergyman——!/MonDieu!/theretheygo，thetwoofthemwalkingtowardsthewoods。Whatastrangeidea!AndyourfatherhasMonsieurGodfreybythearm，althoughassuredlyheisnotfaintforhepullsaheadasthoughinagreathurry。Theymustbemad，bothofthem。I
havehalfamind——“
“No，no，Mother，“saidJuliette。“Leavethemalone。Doubtlessintimetheywillreturn。Perhapsithassomethingtodowiththestars。“
“Sillygirl!Starsatmidday!“
“Well，Mamma，youknowtheyarealwaysthereevenifonecannotseethem。“
“Nonsense，child。Theyonlycomeatnight。Thequestionis——wherearethosetwogoing？“
Julietteshookherheadandgaveitup，andsoperforcedidhermother。
Meanwhile，followingashortcutthroughthesnowywoodsthatranovertheshoulderoftheinterveninghill，thepairwerewendingtheirwaytowardsLucerne。Godfrey，afixedandvacantlookuponhisface，wentfirst；thePasteurclingingtohisarmlikealimpettoarock，puffedalongbesidehim。
“Heaven!“hegasped，“butthisattractionofyoursmustbestrongthatitmakesyouwalksofastimmediatelyafterdinner。“
“Itis，itis!“saidGodfrey，inakindofagony。“Ifeelasthoughmyinsidewerebeingdrawnout，andImustfollowit。PleaseholdmyarmtightorIshallrun。“
“Ah!thewitch。Thegreatwitch!“puffedthePasteur，“andupthishilltoo，oversnow。Well，itwillbebetteronthedowngrade。Givemeyourhand，myboy，foryourcoatisslipping，andifonceyougotawayhowshouldIcatchyou？“
TheyaccomplishedthewalkintoLucerneinabsolutelyrecordtime。
Fortunately，atthisafter-dinnerhourfewpeoplewereabout，butsomeofthosewhomtheymetstaredatthem，andonecalled：
“Doyoutakehimtothepolice-station？ShallIsummonthe/gens-
d’arme/？“
“No，no，“repliedthePasteur，“hegoestokeepanassignation，andisinahurry。“
“Thenwhydoeshetakeyouwithhim？Surelyaclergymanwillmakeabadthirdatsuchanaffair？“ejaculatedanoutspokenladywhowasstandingatherhousedoor。
“Whereisthestreet？Idonotknowit，“askedthePasteur。
“NordoI，“answeredGodfrey，“butweshallcomethereallright。Totheleftnow。“
“Oh!theinfluence!Thestronginfluence!“mutteredMonsieurBoiset。
“Behold!itleadshim。“
Trulyitdidleadhim。Roundcornersandacrosssquarestheywentintoanoldpartofthetownwithwhichneitherofthemwasacquainted，tillatlengthGodfrey，divingbeneathanarchway，pulledupinfrontofanantiquedoorway，saying：
“Ithinkthisistheplace。“
“Lookatthewritingandmakesure，“saidthePasteur，“foritseemsridiculous——“
Atthatmomentthedooropenedmysteriously，andGodfreydisappearedintothepassagebeyond。ScarcelyhadthePasteurtimetofollowhimwhenitshutagain，althoughhecouldseeno/concierge/。
“Doubtlessitisoneofthosethatworkswithawire，“hethoughttohimself，buthehadnotimetostoptolook，foralreadyGodfreywasclimbingthestairs。Uphewent，threefloors，andupafterhimscrambledthePasteur。SuddenlyGodfreystoppedatadoorandnotwaitingtoringthebell，knockedwithhishand。ImmediatelyitopenedandGodfrey，withhiscompanion，passedintoaverydarkhallroundwhichwereseveralotherdoors。HereinthegloomthePasteurlosthim。Godfreyhadgonethroughoneofthedoors，butwhichhecouldnotsee。Hestoodstill，listening，andpresentlyheardadeeppeculiarvoicespeakingEnglishwithaveryforeignaccent，say：
“Soyouhavecometoseeyourgodmamma，mydearlittlecleverboy。
Well，Ithoughtyouwould，andlastnightIsentyouaprettymessengertogiveyouremembrance。“
ThenthePasteurfoundthehandleofthedoorandenteredtheroom。Itwasacuriousplacedraped，notwithouttasteofabizarrekind，invividcolours，whereinpurpledominated，anditgaveanideaofmingledmagnificenceandsqualor。Someofthefurniturewasverygood，aswereoneortwoofthepictures，thoughallofitwasofanoddandunusualmake。Thus，thesideboardwasshapedlikeasarcophagus，andsupportedonsolidsphinxeswithgildedfaces。Inacorneroftheroomalsostoodanunwrappedmummyinaglasscase。
Inthemidstofallthisstoodacommondealtable，whereonwereablackbottle，andtheremainsofMadame’smeal，whichseemedtohaveconsistedoflargesuppliesofunderdonemeat。Infrontofthefirewasalarge，well-worncouch，andbyitasmallstouttablesuchasspiritualistsuse，onwhichgleamedaballofglassorcrystal。OnthiscouchwasseatedMadamecladinakindofblackdressing-gownandawidegoldscarftiedaboutheramplewaist。Herfat，massivefacewaspaintedandpowdered；onherheadsheworeakindofmantillaalsogold-coloured，andaboutherneckastringofoldEgyptianamulets。
Anythingmoreunwholesomeoruncannythanwerehergeneralappearanceandsurroundingsasthebrightflamesofthefireshowedtheminthisstuffy，shadowedroom，itwouldbeimpossibletoimagine。
“Sitdownherebymyside，mylittlesoninthespeerit，whereIhavemadeaplacereadyforyou，andletmeholdyourhandwhileyoutellmeallthatyouhavebeendoingandifyouhavebeenthinkingmuchofmeandthatbeautifulEleanorwhomIsenttoseeyoulastnight，“wentonMadameRiennesinherogreish，purringvoice，pattingthesofa。
JustthenshelookedupandcaughtsightofthePasteurstandingintheshadow。Staringathimwithherfierce，prominenteyes，shestartedviolentlyasthoughatlastshehadseensomethingofwhichshewasafraid。
“Say，myGodfrey，“sheexclaimedinaratherdoubtfulvoice，“whatisthisthatyouhavebroughtwithyou？Isitascarecrowfromthefields？Orisitaspeeritofyourown？Ifso，IshouldhavethoughtthatayoungmanwouldhavelikedbetterthelovelyEleanorthanthisolddevil。“
“Yes，MadameJezebel，“saidthePasteurstridingforward，speakinginaloud，highvoiceandwavingalargeumbrella，whichhadcomepartlyunfoldedinhishurriedwalk。“Itisascarecrow——onethatscaresthecrowsofhellwhoseektopickoutthesoulsoftheinnocent，like/you/，MadameJezebel。“
Madameutteredavoluminousoathinsomestrangetongue，andsprangtoherfeetwithanagilitysurprisinginonesostout。
“Say，whoareyou？“sheejaculatedinFrench，confrontinghim。
“IamthePasteurBoisetwhoaccompanymywardtopaythislittlecall，Madame。“
“Oh!indeed。Thatthiefofaclergyman，whogothisfingerintothepieofdeadMademoiselle，eh？Well，therearenomorepickingshere，Pasteur，butperhapsyoucometohaveyourfortunetold。ShallIlookinthecrystalforyouandtellyounicethingsabout——whatshallwesay？AboutthepastofthathandsomeMadameofyours，forinstance？
Oh!Iwilldoitforlove，yes，forlove。OrshallImakethatmummyspeakforyou？Ican，foronceIlivedinthatbodyofhers——itwasagaylife，“andshestopped，gasping。
“Hearken，woman，“saidthePasteur，“anddonotthinktofrightenme。
Iknowallaboutmywife，and，ifonceshewasfoolish，whatofitinaworldwherenonearealtogetherwise？Ifyoudonotwishtovisitthepolicecell，youwilldowelltoleaveheralone。Asforyourtricksofchicanery，Iwantnoneofthem。WhatIwantisthatyoutakeoffthespellwhichyouhavelaiduponthispoorboy，asSatanyourmasterhasgivenyouthepowertodo。Now，obeyme——or——“
“Or？Orwhat，youoldpaidadvocateofGod？“