. I do
not know if, as you say, they ride on broomsticks; but I'll tell you
this: My father was no fibber. He told me one day that a certain
woman went at their house from time to time. They never saw her come
in at the door like one might see another person do, but she simply
fell plump in the middle of the kitchen. She found herself there,
none knew how; I do not know whether it was through the ceiling or
otherwise, but my father assured me he had seen her come in this
fashion more than once."

"Stop," cried Frank, "I never thought it would come to this. It
beats all that I have yet heard. And you believe that, Mait Pierre,
you who think yourself----"

"My father always spoke the truth," interrupted Pierre, "if a man
is not to believe what he has seen, what must he confide in, then?"

"You ought to use your reasoning faculties; but, tell me, have you
ever been an eye-witness to any of these things?"

"If I've seen any? why, certainly, by the dozen almost. I'll tell
you one. I was working some few years ago for a Mr. Fouret. One of
his cows having died from milk fever, it was found necessary to
replace it. Now old Mrs. X. had two for sale at that time, and
knowing that my master wanted to buy one, she offered him hers.

"I must tell you that this woman had the reputation of having the
evil eye. Mr. Fouret did not care to refuse her, so he said he would
go and see them. He went. When he came back, he told us he would not
take them even if Mrs. X. gave them to him for nothing; they were
very lean and deformed. So he resolved to risk being bewitched and
bought one from Mr. Paslet.

"When he came back to the farm he said to me: 'Pierre, go and fetch
the cow which I have bought at Mr. Paslet's farm.'

"'All right sir,' answered I, and I started.

"As I was coming back quietly with the beast, whom should I meet but
Mrs. X.

"'Oh, it's you, Pierre,' she said grinning; 'where have you had that
cow from?'

"I explained: 'Master had bought the animal in the morning from Mr.
Paslet and had sent me to fetch it.'

"'Ah, indeed,' she said, patting the animal; 'she's a fine beast.'

"When I saw her laying her hand on the poor creature, I said to
myself, 'she's giving it her.' But what could I do? I said nothing,
and the old woman went away.

"I had not proceeded more than one hundred yards when the animal
began to show signs of illness. However, I managed to lead her to
the farm which was not very far. But the beast