threw a spell on my niece, and stopped the tongue
of my nephew's chaplain; I do believe that had I seen either of them
alone, my wager had been won."

"Certainly; therefore, I took good care to go with thee; however, thou
mayest see the prior alone, if thou wilt; and lo! his door is open. I
will stand without for five minutes when it will be time to commence
our journey."

It was the poor Baron's last chance: and he entered his brother's room
more for the five minutes' respite than from any hope of success.

Father Ignatius, the prior, was absorbed in magic calculations: he
stood in the middle of a circle of skulls, with no garment except his
long white beard, which reached to his knees; he was waving a silver
rod, and muttering imprecations in some horrible tongue.

But Sir Rollo came forward and interrupted his incantation. "I am,"
said he, "the shade of thy brother Roger de Rollo; and have come, from
pure brotherly love, to warn thee of thy fate."

"Whence camest thou?"

"From the abode of the blessed in Paradise," replied Sir Roger, who
was inspired with a sudden thought; "it was but five minutes ago that
the Patron Saint of thy church told me of thy danger, and of thy
wicked compact with the fiend. 'Go,' said he, 'to thy miserable
brother, and tell him there is but one way by which he may escape from
paying the awful forfeit of his bond.'"

"And how may that be?" said the prior; "the false fiend hath deceived
me; I have given him my soul, but have received no worldly benefit in
return. Brother! dear brother! how may I escape?"

"I will tell thee. As soon as I heard the voice of blessed St. Mary
Lazarus" (the worthy Earl had, at a pinch, coined the name of a
saint), "I left the clouds, where, with other angels, I was seated,
and sped hither to save thee. 'Thy brother,' said the Saint, 'hath but
one day more to live, when he will become for all eternity the subject
of Satan; if he would escape, he must boldly break his bond, by saying
an ave.'"

"It is the express condition of the agreement," said the unhappy monk,
"I must say no prayer, or that instant I become Satan's, body and
soul."

"It is the express condition of the Saint," answered Roger, fiercely;
"pray, brother, pray, or thou art lost for ever."

So the foolish monk knelt down, and devoutly sung out an ave. "Amen!"
said Sir Roger, devoutly.

"Amen!" said Mercurius, as, suddenly, coming behind, he seized
Ignatius by his long beard, and flew u