he cow's belly caused borborygms in
the interior of her bowels. She emitted wind.

Pecuchet thereupon said: "This is an opening door for hope--an outlet,
perhaps."

The outlet produced its effect: the hope gushed forth in a bundle of
yellow stuff, bursting with the force of a shell. The hide got loose;
the cow got rid of her swelling. An hour later there was no longer any
sign of it.

This was certainly not the result of imagination. Therefore the fluid
contained some special virtue. It lets itself be shut up in the objects
to whom it is given without being impaired. Such an expedient saves
displacements. They adopted it; and they sent their clients magnetised
tokens, magnetised handkerchiefs, magnetised water, and magnetised
bread.

Then, continuing their studies, they abandoned the passes for the system
of Puysegur, which replaces the magnetiser by means of an old tree,
about the trunk of which a cord is rolled.

A pear tree in their fruit garden seemed made expressly for the purpose.
They prepared it by vigorously encircling it with many pressures. A
bench was placed underneath. Their clients sat in a row, and the results
obtained there were so marvellous that, in order to get the better of
Vaucorbeil, they invited him to a _seance_ along with the leading
personages of the locality.

Not one failed to attend. Germaine received them in the breakfast-room,
making excuses on behalf of her masters, who would join them presently.

From time to time they heard the bell ringing. It was the patients whom
she was bringing in by another way. The guests nudged one another,
drawing attention to the windows covered with dust, the stains on the
panels, the frayed pictures; and the garden, too, was in a wretched
state. Dead wood everywhere! The orchard was barricaded with two sticks
thrust into a gap in the wall.

Pecuchet made his appearance. "At your service, gentlemen."

And they saw at the end of the garden, under the Edouin pear tree, a
number of persons seated.

Chamberlan, clean-shaven like a priest, in a short cassock of lasting,
with a leathern cap, gave himself up to the shivering sensations
engendered by the pains in his ribs. Migraine, whose stomach was always
tormenting him, made wry faces close beside him. Mere Varin, to hide her
tumour, wore a shawl with many folds. Pere Lemoine, his feet
stockingless in his old shoes, had his crutches under his knees; and La
Barbee, who wore her Sunday clothes, looked e