on, who was making war on Castile. Sancho had
returned safe and sound from this expedition, but some time after he
fell sick and died in his house.

Four months after his death, Sancho showed himself to Pierre
d'Engelbert, as we have said. Sancho was naked, with the exception of
a rag for mere decency round him. He began to uncover the burning
wood, as if to warm himself, or that he might be more distinguishable.
Peter asked him who he was. "I am," replied he, in a broken and hoarse
voice, "Sancho, your servant." "And what do you come here for?" "I am
going," said he, "into Castile, with a number of others, in order to
expiate the harm we did during the last war, on the same spot where it
was committed: for my own part, I pillaged the ornaments of a church,
and for that I am condemned to take this journey. You can assist me
very much by your good works; and madame, your spouse, who owes me yet
eight sols for the remainder of my salary, will oblige me infinitely
if she will bestow them on the poor in my name." Peter then asked him
news of one Pierre de Fais, his friend, who had been dead a short
time. Sancho told him that he was saved.

"And Bernier, our fellow-citizen, what is become of him?" "He is
damned," said he, "for having badly performed his office of judge, and
for having troubled and plundered the widow and the innocent."

Peter added, "Could you tell me any news of Alphonso, king of Arragon,
who died a few years ago?"

Then another spectre, that Peter had not before seen, and which he now
observed distinctly by the light of the moon, seated in the recess of
the window, said to him--"Do not ask him for news of King Alphonso; he
has not been with us long enough to know anything about him. I, who
have been dead five years, can give you news of him. Alphonso was with
us for some time, but the monks of Clugni extricated him from thence.
I know not where he is now." Then, addressing himself to his
companion, Sancho, "Come," said he, "let us follow our companions; it
is time to set off." Sancho reiterated his entreaties to Peter, his
lord, and went out of the house.

Peter waked his wife who was lying by him, and who had neither seen
nor heard anything of all this dialogue, and asked her the question,
"Do not you owe something to Sancho, that domestic who was in our
service, and died a little while ago?" She answered, "I owe him still
eight sols." From this, Peter had no more doubt of the truth of what
Sancho h