possession of a spectator with a
strange power. For myself, although forewarned, I was chilled even to
my bones.

How would it, then, have fared with the poor, simple peasant, if he had
been surprised unawares? He would have been utterly cast down.
Despairing, he would have lost all power of self-control, and the
spirit of imitation would have done the rest.

Scarcely had I moved the curtain, when I saw Fledermausse on the watch
behind her window. She could not see me. I opened my window softly; the
window opposite was opened! Then her manikin appeared to rise slowly
and advance before me. I, also, advanced my manikin, and seizing my
torch with one hand, with the other I quickly opened the shutters. And
now the old woman and myself were face to face. Struck with sudden
terror, she had let her manikin fall!

We gazed at each other with almost equal horror. _She_ extended her
finger--I advanced _mine_. _She_ moved her lips--I agitated _mine_. She
breathed a profound sigh, and leaned upon her elbow. I imitated her.

To describe all the terrors of this scene would be impossible. It
bordered upon confusion, madness, delirium. It was a death struggle
between two wills; between two intelligences; between two souls--each
one wishing to destroy the other; and, in this struggle, I had the
advantage--her victims struggled with me.

After having imitated for some seconds every movement of Fledermausse,
I pulled a rope from under my skirt, and attached it to the crossbeam.

The old woman gazed at me with gaping mouth. I passed the rope around
my neck; her pupils expanded, lightened; her face was convulsed.

"No, no!" said she, in a whistling voice.

I pursued her with the impassability of an executioner.

Then rage seemed to take possession of her.

"Old fool!" she exclaimed, straightening herself up, and her hands
contracted on the crossbeam. "Old fool!" I gave her no time to go on
blowing out my lamp. I stooped, like a man going to make a vigorous
spring, and, seizing my manikin, I passed the rope around its neck, and
precipitated it below.

A terrible cry resounded through the street, and then silence, which I
seemed to feel. Perspiration bathed my forehead. I listened a long
time. At the end of a quarter of an hour I heard, far away, very far
away, the voice of the watchman, crying, "Inhabitants of Nuremberg,
midnight, midnight sounds!"

"Now justice is satisfied!" I cried, "and three victims are avenged.
Pardon m