" I said; "now tell me what grounds you have for supposing
that there is a treasure in your house?"

"In the first place, the oral tradition transmitted from father to son
for the last eight generations; in the second, the heavy sounds which are
heard under ground during the night. Besides, the door of the cellar
opens and shuts of itself every three or four minutes; which must
certainly be the work of the devils seen every night wandering through
the country in the shape of pyramidal flames."

"If it is as you say, it is evident that you have a treasure hidden
somewhere in your house; it is as certain as the fact that two and two
are four. Be very careful not to put a lock to the door of the cellar to
prevent its opening and shutting of itself; otherwise you would have an
earthquake, which would destroy everything here. Spirits will enjoy
perfect freedom, and they break through every obstacle raised against
them."

"God be praised for having sent here, forty years ago, a learned man who
told my father exactly the same thing! That great magician required only
three days more to unearth the treasure when my father heard that the
Inquisition had given orders to arrest him, and he lost no time in
insuring his escape. Can you tell me how it is that magicians are not
more powerful than the Inquisitors?"

"Because the monks have a greater number of devils under their command
than we have. But I feel certain that your father had already expended a
great deal of money with that learned man."

"About two thousand crowns."

"Oh! more, more."

I told Franzia to follow me, and, in order to accomplish something in the
magic line, I dipped a towel in some water, and uttering fearful words
which belonged to no human language, I washed the eyes, the temples, and
the chest of every person in the family, including Javotte, who might
have objected to it if I had not begun with her father, mother, and
brother. I made them swear upon my pocket-book that they were not
labouring under any impure disease, and I concluded the ceremony by
compelling Javotte to swear likewise that she had her maidenhood. As I
saw that she was blushing to the very roots of her hair in taking the
oath, I was cruel enough to explain to her what it meant; I then asked
her to swear again, but she answered that there was no need of it now
that she knew what it was. I ordered all the family to kiss me, and
finding that Javotte had eaten garlic I forbade the use