DEVIL STORIES
"You seem to be well acquainted with the road," said the knight.
"I have reason," answered Mercurius, "having, for a long period, had the acquaintance of his reverence, your brother; but you have little chance with him."
"And why?" said Sir Rollo.
"He is under a bond to my master, never to say a prayer, or else his soul and his body are forfeited at once."
"Why, thou false and traitorous devil!" said the enraged knight; "and thou knewest this when we made our wager?"
"Undoubtedly: do you suppose I would have done so had there been any chance of losing?"
And with this they arrived at Father Ignatius's door.
"Thy cursed presence 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,
[90]
