"Father! Good father--have pity upon me!"
"Do you hear those underground cries? It is the devils; they are coming for you. Listen! Do you hear them cry: 'Neroweg! Neroweg! The fratricide! Come to us! Cain, you are ours!'"
"Oh! Those cries are frightful. Good father in Christ, pray to the Lord that he forgive me!"
"Ah! Now you are on your knees, pale and distracted, with hands clasped, your eyes closed with terror! Will you still ask where is hell?"
"No! No! Holy bishop! Holy Bishop Cautin! Absolve me of the death of my brother; you shall have the meadow lands, the twenty gold pieces--"
"Oh! You want my pretty blonde slave also?"
"I have a donation deed ready made out. You shall order one of your leudes to come in and sign the parchment as your witness--yonder hermit shall be my witness, and you will sign the document in their presence. The donation will then be in order and binding."
"I consent to everything--have pity upon me. Order the devils back. Order them back! Oh! good father, order them away! Keep them from dragging me to hell!"
"They will certainly drag you thither if you fail in your promise."
"Seeing that you are no longer in doubt of the power of the Lord," the bishop proceeded to say while he again stamped on the floor with his foot, "you may rise, count, open your eyes, the abyss of hell is closed again"; the slab had in the meantime been raised and adjusted in its former place. "Hermit, bring the parchment to me and writing materials. You shall be my witness."
"I decline, seigneur bishop, to aid in the accomplishment of such a sacrilegious knavery," the hermit-laborer answered in Latin, "but if I reveal your trick to that barbarian he will put you to death! I shall not be the means of your death. God will one day judge you! In the meantime I shall raise my voice against your unworthy comedies."
"What! Would you be capable of abusing your influence over the masses in order to incite them to a rebellion in my diocese? Is it a declaration of war that you make to me? Do you not know that the officers of the Church must stand by one another? Or is it some favor that you mean to draw from me through intimidation? Answer!"
"To-morrow, before proceeding upon my journey, I shall tell you what I demand of you--"