clad in a priest's robe of flame-coloured velvet,
succeeded the Lord of Retz himself. He held in his hand like a
service-book the great manuscript written in red, which he had been
transcribing at Sybilla's entrance, and as he walked he chanted, with
a strange intonation, words that thrilled the very soul of the young
man listening.

And yet, as Laurence looked forth from his hiding-place, it appeared
that the black statue nodded once more to him as one who would say,
"Take note and remember what thou seest; for one day thy testimony
shall be needful."

These were the words he heard in the chanting monotone:

"O great and mighty Barran-Sathanas--my only lord and master, whom
with all due observance I do worship, look mercifully upon this the
sacrifice of innocent blood; let it be grateful to thee--to whom all
evil is as the breath of life!

"Hear us, O Barran-Sathanas! Thou hast been deaf in past days, because
we served thee not without drawback or withholding, without sparing
and without remorse. Because we hesitated to give thee the best, the
delicatest, the most pitiful. But now take this innocentest innocence.
Behold I, Gilles de Retz, make to thee the matchless sacrifice of the
Red Milk thou lovest.

"The Red Milk I pour for thee. The Red Milk I bring thee. The Red Milk
I drink to thee--that thou mayest be pleased to restore vital energy
and new youth to my veins, to make me strong as a young man in his
strength, and wiser than the wisdom of age. Hear me, O great master of
all the evil of the universe, thou equal and coadjutor of the Master
of Good, hear and manifest thy so mighty power. Hear me and answer, O
Barran-Sathanas!"

Gilles de Retz took the cup from the hands of the servitors. He seemed
so weak with his crying that he could hardly hold it between his
trembling palms.

He lifted his head and again cried aloud:

"See, I am weak, my Satan--see how I tremble. Strength is departed
from me. Youth is dead. Help thy faithful servant, aid him to lift up
this precious oblation to thee!"

And as the great dusky image seemed to lean over him, with a hoarse
cry Gilles de Retz raised the cup and held it high above his head. As
he did so a beam, sudden as lightning, fell upon it, and with a quick,
instinctive horror, Laurence saw that it was filled to the brim with
blood fresh and red.

The marshal's voice strengthened.

"It is coming! It is coming! Barran manifests himself! O great lord,
to thee I dra