could
cure her.

You may fancy that he was most willingly heard, and that all the
grief-stricken assembly, from whose hearts all joy had been banished,
hoped that the result would prove as he had promised.

Then he left, and promised that he would return the next day, provided
and furnished with a drug of such virtue, that it would at once remove
the great pain and martyrdom which tortured and annoyed the poor
patient.

The night seemed over-long, whilst waiting for the wished-for morrow;
nevertheless, the long hours passed, and our worthy Cordelier kept his
promise, and came to the patient at the hour appointed. You may guess
that he was well and joyously received; and when the time came when he
was to heal the patient, they placed her as before on a couch, with her
backside covered with a fair white cloth of embroidered damask, having,
where her malady was, a hole pierced in it through which the Cordelier
might arrive at the said place.

He gazed at the seat of the disease, first from one side, then from the
other: and anon he would touch it gently with his finger, or inspect the
tube by which he meant to blow in the powder which was to heal her, or
anon would step back and inspect the diseased parts, and it seemed as
though he could never gaze enough.

At last he took the powder in his left hand, poured upon a small flat
dish, and in the other hand the tube, which he filled with the said
powder, and as he gazed most attentively and closely through the opening
at the seat of the painful malady of the poor girl, she could not
contain herself, seeing the strange manner in which the Cordelier gazed
at her with his one eye, but a desire to burst out laughing came upon
her, though she restrained herself as long as she could.

But it came to pass, alas! that the laugh thus held back was converted
into a f--t, the wind of which caught the powder, so that the greater
part of it was blown into the face and into the eye of the good
Cordelier, who, feeling the pain, dropped quickly both plate and tube,
and almost fell backwards, so much was he frightened. And when he came
to himself, he quickly put his hand to his eye, complaining loudly, and
saying that he was undone, and in danger to lose the only good eye he
had.

Nor did he lie, for in a few days, the powder which was of a corrosive
nature, destroyed and ate away his eye, so that he became, and remained,
blind.

Then he caused himself to be led one day to the hou