y he began to repeat the form of exorcism, and the superior
was immediately attacked by frightful convulsions, which in a few
minutes produced complete exhaustion, so that she fell on her face to
the ground, and turning on her left arm and side, remained motionless
some instants, after which she uttered a low cry, followed by a groan.
The physicians approached her, and Duncan seeing her take away her
hand from her left side, seized her arm, and found that the tips of her
fingers were stained with blood. They then examined her clothing and
body, and found her dress, bodice, and chemise cut through in three
places, the cuts being less than an inch long. There were also three
scratches beneath the left breast, so slight as to be scarcely more than
skin deep, the middle one being a barleycorn in length; still, from
all three a sufficient quantity of blood had oozed to stain the chemise
above them.

This time the fraud was so glaring that even de Laubardemont exhibited
some signs of confusion because of the number and quality of the
spectators. He would not, however, allow the doctors to include in
their report their opinion as to the manner in which the wounds were
inflicted; but Grandier protested against this in a Statement of Facts,
which he drew up during the night, and which was distributed next day.

It was as follows:

"That if the superior had not groaned the physicians would not have
removed her clothes, and would have suffered her to be bound, without
having the least idea that the wounds were already made; that then the
exorcists would have commanded the devils to come forth, leaving the
traces they had promised; that the superior would then have gone through
the most extraordinary contortions of which she was capable, and have
had a long fit of, convulsions, at the end of which she would have been
delivered from the three demons, and the wounds would have been found
in her body; that her groans, which had betrayed her, had by God's will
thwarted the best-laid plans of men and devils. Why do you suppose," he
went on to ask, "that clean incised wounds, such as a sharp blade would
make, 'were chosen for a token, seeing that the wounds left by devils
resemble burns? Was it not because it was easier for the superior to
conceal a lancet with which to wound herself slightly, than to conceal
any instrument sufficiently heated to burn her? Why do you think the
left side was chosen rather than the forehead and nose, if