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？“