he report of the dream, which already fills the whole
city. Suppose, now, you were to let a man, dressed like the Dominican,
slip into Clara's cell, and the signs of the sinful deed were afterwards
to appear, would not the whole world say that it was a trick of the arch
foe of mankind? Let Satan have the credit of it, and do you remain
sitting in your chair, adorned with that dignity which Heaven has been
pleased to grant you. I have given you this advice out of friendship,
and for your good; you are now at liberty to do as you please. At all
events, I will send you some one to-night to personate the Dominican, and
he will only have to return if you are too scrupulous.

The abbess sat like one amazed, and in her confusion began to tell her
Rosary: "_Ave Maria_. It is certainly allying oneself to the Devil.
Blessed Ursula, illumine my darkness." She cast her eyes upon the image
of the saint. "It would certainly be a great scandal to the convent.
_Ave Maria_. But then it would be placed to Satan's account. Perhaps,
though, I might be damned for it. _Pater noster_. And am I now to
become a servant in the cloister, and in my old days to be tormented by a
superior, after I have so long tormented the nuns? This little baggage
has already afforded sufficient scandal to the whole town without this.
Alas, when I have no longer authority to box the nuns about, how will
this and that malignant creature revenge herself upon me! _Ave Maria_.
Well, I have made up my mind, and, for the good of the cloister, I will
continue abbess the remainder of any days, cost what it will."

The Devil applauded her, and the plan was soon arranged. Upon going away
the Devil said to Faustus:

"Now, what have I done else than ask the pride of this old beldame
whether it is better to risk eternal damnation, or to give up that
tyrannical power over the poor nuns, which the hand of Death will soon
deprive her of?"

Whatever pleasure Faustus derived from the certainty that his desires
would be gratified, he was nevertheless much displeased that the Devil
should always be in the right. That same evening the abbess herself
introduced him, under the disguise of the Dominican, into Clara's cell
while the nuns were at vespers. Clara herself soon appeared, and after
she had commended herself to St. Ursula, she laid herself down. Her
imagination, which had once been directed to a certain object, often
repeated to her in dreams her former visio