breast heaving with
emotion. She caught hold of the abbe's hand with a strong grasp, and
kept him from turning the key in the lock. She trembled in every limb.

"What are those fearful tones?"

Then came a confused sound, as of many voices intoning the vespers.
One voice, which imitated the monotonous delivery of the celebrant,
began to sing in Latin the words of a hymn--

"Bacchus, prepare the libation."

Another voice answered in the same tone--

"And hasten, brethren, to drink!"

Then a third took up the text in a parody of the _Gloria_--

"Gloria Baccho, et filiae ejus Cerevisiae et Spiritui vini, sicut erat
in Baccho natus, et nunc, et semper, et per omnia pocula poculorum.
Stramen."

The countess felt her whole body turning into ice; fear mingled with
horror. She understood the impious parody.

Now the organ accompanied the antiphon.

"Date nobis de cerevisia vestra; quia sitiunt guttura nostra"--"Give
us of your beer; our throats are dry."

Then followed the psalm--

"Brother to brother spoke these words: shall two goblets of beer
quench man's thirst?"

"Two, three, five, six are not enough for man's satiety."

"Blessed be Bacchus, who gave us beer."

Then followed the Capitulum.

"Brethren, attend, and do as I command ye. Before ye leave the
ale-house for your own homes empty all the pots, leave not a drop
therein, but tilt them and drain every drop of wine. This do from
goblet to goblet. Stramen."

The countess felt, as she listened to this profanity, what a damned
soul must experience when for the first time it consorts with devils.
But now a hellish chorus broke forth of men's and women's voices,
yelling out a parody of a hymn--

"Bacchus, who gave us drink,
Art thou not called the god of liquor?
Grant us all the holy grace,
Strength to drink in every place,
So that, drinking everywhere,
We for glory may prepare
In thy everlasting wine-cellar."

This was followed by the ringing of the bell, and the priest's voice
intoned the blessing.

"Bacchus be with you."

The chorus answered, "And with thy pint-pots."

Then came the Oratio--

"Let us eat. O all-powerful Bacchus, since thou hast created this
society of ours for thine own honor, grant to us its continuance, and
give to us a constant supply of brave topers, who never may cease
drinking from goblet to goblet."

And the chorus answered, "Stramen."

The countess was not able any longer to