teenth century, informs us that this plant, long considered an emblem
of virility, perturbs the quietude of the most chaste."

"Don't listen to him," said the bell-ringer's wife. "And you, Monsieur
Gevingey, some carrots?"

Durtal looked at the astrologer. His head still looked like a
sugar-loaf, his hair was the same faded, dirty brown of hydroquinine or
ipecac powders, his bird eyes had the same startled look, his enormous
hands were covered with the same phalanx of rings, he had the same
obsequious and imposing manner, and sacerdotal tone, but he was
freshened up considerably, the wrinkles had gone out of his skin, and
his eyes were brighter, since his visit to Lyons.

Durtal congratulated him on the happy result of the treatment.

"It was high time, monsieur, I was putting myself under the care of Dr.
Johannes, for I was nearly gone. Not possessing a shred of the gift of
voyance and knowing no extralucid cataleptic who could inform me of the
clandestine preparations of Canon Docre, I could not possibly defend
myself by using the laws of countersign and of the shock in return."

"But," said Des Hermies, "admitting that you could, through the
intermediation of a flying spirit, have been aware of the operations of
the priest, how could you have parried them?"

"The law of countersigns consists, when you know in advance the day and
hour of the attack, in going away from home, thus throwing the spell off
the track and neutralizing it, or in saying an hour beforehand, 'Here I
am. Strike!' The last method is calculated to scatter the fluids to the
wind and paralyze the powers of the assailant. In magic, any act known
and made public is lost. As for the shock in return, one must also know
beforehand of the attempt if one is to cast back the spells on the
person sending them before one is struck by them.

"I was certain to perish. A day had passed since I was bewitched. Two
days more and I should have been ready for the cemetery."

"How's that?"

"Every individual struck by magic has three days in which to take
measures. That time past, the ill is incurable. So when Docre announced
to me that he condemned me to death by his own authority and when, two
hours later, on returning home, I felt desperately ill, I lost no time
packing my grip and starting for Lyons."

"And there?" asked Durtal.

"There I saw Dr. Johannes. I told him of Docre's threat and of my
illness. He said to me simply. 'That priest can dress the m