took her by the hand and led her into the chapel, and
the girl followed them. There they made most devout prayers to the
all-powerful God who had vouchsafed to show them this mystery.

Then the hermit delivered a short sermon, touching dreams, visions,
apparitions, and revelations, which often come to certain people, and
alluded to the cause for which they were there assembled, and God knows
that he preached well and righteously.

"Since God willed and commanded that he should create a successor to the
Pope, and had deigned to reveal His will not once or twice, but three
times, he must needs believe and conclude that great results must follow
from this deed. It is my opinion," he concluded, "that we should no
longer defer the execution of His orders, seeing that we have already
delayed so long, through refusing to believe in this holy vision."

"That is well said, father. What would it please you to do?" replied the
old woman.

"You will leave your fair daughter here," said the hermit, "and she and
I will pray together, and moreover do whatever God shall teach us."

The good widow was much pleased, and her daughter was content to obey.
When the hermit found himself alone with the damsel, he made her strip
entirely as though he would baptise her, and you may fancy that the
hermit did not long remain dressed. But why make a long story? He lay
with her so long, and so often repeated it both in his cell and at her
home, that at last she could not leave the house for shame, for her
belly began to swell,--at which you need not be told she was overjoyed.

But if the daughter rejoiced to find herself pregnant, the mother
rejoiced a hundred times more, and the hypocritical hermit also
pretended to rejoice at the news, though inwardly he was bitterly vexed.

The poor credulous mother, really believing that her daughter would
bring forth a son who should in due time be Pope of Rome, could not
help relating the story to one of her intimate friends, who was as
much astonished as though she had found horns growing on her head, but,
nevertheless, suspected no trickery.

Ere long the neighbour had told the other male and female neighbours,
how the daughter of such an one was pregnant by the holy hermit of a son
who was to be Pope of Rome.

"And what I tell you," she said, "the mother of the girl told me, and
God revealed it to her."

The news soon spread through all the neighbouring towns. Soon afterwards
the girl was broug