ne, "if you were a Jew!"

"Why a Jew, madame?"

"Because you could then read the precious treatises which the Hebrews
have written about sacrifices. I have had one of them translated, and I
found that the Hebrews did not look for omens in the heart or liver as
the Romans did, but in the configuration of the brain, and in the shape
of the letters traced there by the all-powerful hand of destiny."

"Yes, madame; so I have heard from an old rabbi."

"There are," said Catharine, "characters thus marked that reveal all the
future. Only the Chaldean seers recommend"--

"Recommend--what?" asked Rene, seeing the queen hesitate.

"That the experiment shall be tried on the human brain, as more
developed and more nearly sympathizing with the wishes of the
consulter."

"Alas!" said Rene, "your majesty knows it is impossible."

"Difficult, at least," said Catharine; "if we had known this at Saint
Bartholomew's, what a rich harvest we might have had--The first
convict--but I will think of it. Meantime, let us do what we can. Is the
chamber of sacrifice prepared?"

"Yes, madame."

"Let us go there."

Rene lighted a taper made of strange substances, the odor of which, both
insidious and penetrating as well as nauseating and stupefying,
betokened the introduction of many elements; holding this taper up, he
preceded Catharine into the cell.

Catharine selected from amongst the sacrificial instruments a knife of
blue steel, while Rene took up one of the two fowls that were huddling
in one corner, with anxious, golden eyes.

"How shall we proceed?"

"We will examine the liver of the one and the brain of the other. If
these two experiments lead to the same result we must be convinced,
especially if these results coincide with those we got before."

"Which shall we begin with?"

"With the liver."

"Very well," said Rene, and he fastened the bird down to two rings
attached to the little altar, so that the creature, turned on its back,
could only struggle, without stirring from the spot.

Catharine opened its breast with a single stroke of her knife; the fowl
uttered three cries, and, after some convulsions, expired.

"Always three cries!" said Catharine; "three signs of death."

She then opened the body.

"And the liver inclining to the left, always to the left,--a triple
death, followed by a downfall. 'T is terrible, Rene."

"We must see, madame, whether the presages from the second will
correspond with those of