n a
more effective manner than ever. And in fact, on November 22nd, Rene
Mannouri, surgeon to the convent, was sent to one of his colleagues,
named Gaspard Joubert, to beg him to come, bringing some of the
physicians of the town with him, to visit the two sisters, who were
again tormented by evil spirits. Mannouri, however, had gone to the
wrong man, for Joubert had a frank and loyal character, and hated
everything that was underhand. Being determined to take no part in the
business, except in a public and judicial manner, he applied at once to
the bailiff to know if it was by his orders that he was called in. The
bailiff said it was not, and summoned Mannouri before him to ask him
by whose authority he had sent for Joubert. Mannouri declared that the
'touriere' had run in a fright to his house, saying that the nuns had
never been worse possessed than now, and that the director, Mignon,
begged him to come at once to the convent, bringing with him all the
doctors he could find.

The bailiff, seeing that fresh plots against Grandier were being formed,
sent for him and warned him that Barre had come over from Chinon the day
before, and had resumed his exorcisms at the convent, adding that it
was currently reported in the town that the mother superior and Sister
Claire were again tormented by devils. The news neither astonished nor
discouraged Grandier, who replied, with his usual smile of disdain, that
it was evident his enemies were hatching new plots against him, and that
as he had instituted proceedings against them for the former ones,
he would take the same course with regard to these. At the same time,
knowing how impartial the bailiff was, he begged him to accompany
the doctors and officials to the convent, and to be present at the
exorcisms, and should any sign of real possession manifest itself, to
sequester the afflicted nuns at once, and cause them to be examined
by other persons than Mignon and Barre, whom he had such good cause to
distrust.

The bailiff wrote to the king's attorney, who, notwithstanding his bias
against Grandier, was forced to see that the conclusions arrived at were
correct, and having certified this in writing, he at once sent his clerk
to the convent to inquire if the superior were still possessed. In case
of an affirmative reply being given, the clerk had instructions to warn
Mignon and Barre that they were not to undertake exorcisms unless in
presence of the bailiff and of such official