d from his lips, there gushed out prayers, warm, deep, sincere--the
first for many years. A ray of light has rushed into his soul. He
uttered a cry of joy, he dashed across the street into the neighbouring
church; he dipped the lace into the basin of consecrated water, and
returned immediately to hang it at the door of his apartment.

At that moment Maina gave birth to a son, and Satan rushed impatiently
to claim his expected prey. But the tempter was unprepared for the trap
that was laid for him. On placing his foot on the first step of the
stair, he found himself pushed back by a superior power. The Mechlin,
dripping with holy water, had amazing effect. It was guardian of the
house and protected the entrance against the fallen angel. Satan strove
again and again; but was always repulsed. There rises now an
impenetrable barrier between him and the innocent being he had destined
for his victim. Forced by the pious stratagem of Frederick Katwingen to
give up his purpose, he roamed all night round the house like a roaring
lion, bellowing in a most awful manner.

In the morning, when they wrapt up the babe in the precious lace to
carry him to be baptized, they perceived that it had been torn in
several places. The holes showed the determination with which Satan had
tried to force a passage. The enemy of mankind had not retreated without
leaving the mark of his talons on the lace.

On coming back from church, Frederick ran to his fiddle; and found in a
corner of the case the deed of compact he had signed. With what joy he
tossed it into the fire, and heard it go crackling up the chimney!

All was over now; Satan was completely floored. He confessed, by giving
up the contract, that he had no further right on the soul of the newly
born, when once it had been purified by the waters of baptism. The
father had recovered the soul which the musician had bartered away!
Since that time, whenever a young woman in Haarlem is about to become a
mother, the husband never fails to hang at the door the richest pieces
of lace he can find in her trousseau. That standard bids defiance to the
evil one, and recalls the noble victory won over the prince of darkness
by Frederick Katwingen, surnamed the Dutch Orpheus. And that is the
reason that, in passing through Haarlem, the visitor sees little frames
suspended from certain houses, ornamented with squares of Mechlin, or
Valenciennes, or Brussels point. And that is the reason that, when he
as