one in the lock of an
antique and highly ornamented press, of which she threw the doors
open. At least fifty silk dresses hung there, side by side. The
countess never allowed any of her clothes to get into strange hands;
no man's eye should ever rest upon what she had worn. Through this
museum of old clothes Emerenzia's fingers went with unerring
certainty, and drew forth the oft-mentioned green silk dress with the
fur trimming.

"Here it is," she said, shortly.

The pastor was triumphant, but the countess, whose nerves were more
impressionable than those of ordinary mortals, grew suddenly pale and
began to shake all over.

"Take that dress down," she said, in a whisper. And Emerenzia, with a
jerk, tore it from its peg. What, in Heaven's name, had come to the
pastor and her mistress?

The countess took it from her hand, and held it, while she turned her
head the other way, across his nose.

"Do you smell it?" she said. "Is it tobacco-smoke?"

Father Mahok was astonished. This fine silk dress, straight from out
of a lady's wardrobe, smelled as strongly of the commonest tobacco as
the coat of a peasant who had passed his night in an ale-house. Before
he could answer Theudelinde's question she was ready with another.
From the pocket of the green Gros de Naples she now drew forth a
broken pheasant bone.

"And this?" she asked. But here her strength was exhausted. Without
waiting for a reply, she fell fainting on the sofa.

Emerenzia, sobbing loudly, fell helplessly into an arm-chair. The
clergyman was so upset by the whole thing that, in his embarrassment,
he opened the doors of three more wardrobes before finding the one
which communicated with the sitting-room. Then he summoned the
servants to attend to their mistress. _The evidence of witchcraft was
proved._

CHAPTER VII

THE COUNTESS'S ALBUM

The worthy Pastor Mahok was of opinion that the mystery of the
countess's dress smelling so strongly of tobacco-smoke could not be
accounted for by any law of Nature, and judged, therefore, by the
light of his priestly office, as well as from his worldly experience,
that these diabolical visions were matters worthy of deep
consideration on his part. They occupied his mind during dinner, which
he partook of in company with the countess's companion, but of the
subject of his thoughts he spoke no word to her. They were alone at
table. The countess remained in her room, as was her habit when she
suffered from w