the youth cried out,
unintentionally, "A miracle! a miracle!" and asserted that he was cured,
as in fact he was.

On the 29th of June, the same M. de la Richardiere returned to Noysi,
and amused himself with shooting. As he was shooting in the vineyards,
the shepherd presented himself before him; he hit him on the head with
the butt-end of his gun. The shepherd cried out, "Sir, you are killing
me!" and fled. The next day this man presented himself again before him,
and asked his pardon, saying, "I am called Damis; it was I who cast a
spell over you which was to have lasted a year. By the aid of masses and
prayers which have been said for you, you have been cured at the end of
eight weeks. But the charm has fallen back upon myself, and I can be
cured of it only by a miracle. I implore you then to pray for me."

During all these reports, the _marechaussee_ had set off in pursuit of
the shepherd; but he escaped them, having killed his two dogs and thrown
away his crook. On Sunday, the 13th of September, he came to M. de la
Richardiere, and related to him his adventure; that after having passed
twenty years without approaching the sacraments, God had given him grace
to confess himself at Troyes; and that after divers delays he had been
admitted to the holy communion. Eight days after, M. de la Richardiere
received a letter from a woman who said she was a relation of the
shepherd's, informing him of his death, and begging him to cause a
requiem mass to be said for him, which was done.

XLVI

THE PIED PIPER

"The Phantom World"

The following instance is so extraordinary, that I should not repeat it
if the account were not attested by more than one writer, and also
preserved in the public monuments of a considerable town of Upper
Saxony; this town is Hamelin in the principality of Kalenberg, at the
confluence of the rivers Hamel and Weser.

In the year 1384, this town was infested by such a prodigious multitude
of rats, that they ravaged all the corn which was laid up in the
granaries; everything was employed that art and experience could invent
to chase them away, and whatever is usually employed against this kind
of animals. At that time there came to the town an unknown person, of
taller stature than ordinary, dressed in a robe of divers colours, who
engaged to deliver them from that scourge, for a certain recompense
which was agreed upon.

Then he drew from his sleeve a flute, at the sound of which all t