this work, the most
important of any that I shall have made for the monastery, seeing the
silver vase is to be two feet high, as you may judge from the cast on
the table."

"What do you need, dotard?"

"I shall need a barrel that I shall fill with sand, and in the middle of
which I shall place my mold.... That is not all.... I have often found
that, despite the hoops that hold the staves of the barrel, where molds
are placed inside of the sand, the barrel bursts when the molten metal
is poured into the hollow. I shall need a long rope to wind tightly
around the barrel. If the hoops snap, the rope will hold. I shall also
need a long thin string to hold the sides of the mold."

"You shall have the barrel, the rope and string."

"These young folks and I shall be forced to spend part of the night at
the work. The days are short at this season. Order a pouch of wine for
us, who otherwise drink only water. The good cheer will keep up our
strength during our hard night's work. On casting days, at the workshops
of the great Eloi, the slaves were always treated to something extra....
Eatables were not spared."

"You shall have your pouch of wine ... seeing that this is a holy-day at
the convent. A miracle has taken place--"

"A miracle! Tell us about it!"

"Yes.... A just punishment of heaven has struck a band of adventurers
upon whom Charles the accursed had the audacity of bestowing this abbey
that is consecrated to the Church. They camped last night upon the
jetty, expecting to attack the monastery at daybreak. But the Lord, by
means of a redoubtable and astonishing prodigy opened the cataracts of
heaven. The ponds swelled and the whole band of criminals was drowned!"

"Glory be to the Lord!" cried the old goldsmith, making a sign to his
apprentices to imitate him. "Glory be to the Lord, who drowns impious
wretches in the cataracts of his wrath!"

"Glory be to the Lord!" repeated the young slaves in chorus at the top
of their voices. "Glory be to the Lord, who drowns impious wretches in
the cataracts of his wrath! Amen!"

"It is a miracle that does not at all surprise me, Ricarik," added the
goldsmith; "it is surely due to the teeth of St. Loup, to the holy relic
that you brought me yesterday."

"That's probable ... it is certain.... You do not need anything else?"

"No," answered the old man, rising and looking into several boxes; "I
have here for the mold enough sulphur and bitumen, there is also enough
char