people suffered considerable annoyance from this cause. It appears that
Satan had taken a fancy to the Catholics, and sought their company a
good deal; a circumstance which has given rise to the belief that the
devil is more Catholic than Protestant. One of his most insufferable
familiarities consisted in paying nocturnal visits to married Catholics
in bed, just at the moment when the husband had fallen fast asleep, and
the wife had begun to doze; a fruitful source of domestic trouble.
Patouillet was of opinion that a faithful biography of Voltaire ought
not to be without some allusion to this practice of the evil one. The
truth of all this is perfectly well known, and described in the forms
of excommunication in the rubric _de erroribus nocturnis et de semine
diabolorum_. The practice was raging particularly at St. Helier's
towards the end of the last century, probably as a punishment for the
Revolution; for the evil consequences of revolutionary excesses are
incalculable. However this may have been, it is certain that this
possibility of a visit from the demon at night, when it is impossible to
see distinctly, or even in slumber, caused much embarrassment among
orthodox dames. The idea of giving to the world a Voltaire was by no
means a pleasant one. One of these, in some anxiety, consulted her
confessor on this extremely difficult subject, and the best mode for
timely discovery of the cheat. The confessor replied, "In order to be
sure that it is your husband by your side, and not a demon, place your
hand upon his head. If you find horns, you may be sure there is
something wrong." But this test was far from satisfactory to the worthy
dame.

Gilliatt's house had been haunted, but it was no longer in that
condition; it was for that reason, however, only regarded with more
suspicion. No one learned in demonology can be unaware of the fact that,
when a sorcerer has installed himself in a haunted dwelling, the devil
considers the house sufficiently occupied, and is polite enough to
abstain from visiting there, unless called in, like the doctor, on some
special occasion.

This house was known by the name of the Bu de la Rue. It was situated at
the extremity of a little promontory, rather of rock than of land,
forming a small harbourage apart in the creek of Houmet Paradis. The
water at this spot is deep. The house stood quite alone upon the point,
almost separated from the island, and with just sufficient ground about
i