t change our liquor!"

And with this pious wish the holy confessor tumbled under the table in
an agony of devout drunkenness; whilst the knights, the men-at-arms,
and the wicked little pages, rang out the last verse with a most
melodious and emphatic glee. "I am sorry, fair uncle," hiccupped Sir
Randal, "that, in the matter of the ave, we could not oblige thee in a
more orthodox manner; but the holy father has failed, and there is not
another man in the hall who hath an idea of a prayer."

"It is my own fault," said Sir Rollo; "for I hanged the last
confessor." And he wished his nephew a surly goodnight, as he prepared
to quit the room.

"Au revoir, gentlemen," said the devil Mercurius; and once more fixed
his tail round the neck of his disappointed companion.

The spirit of poor Rollo was sadly cast down; the devil, on the
contrary, was in high good humour. He wagged his tail with the most
satisfied air in the world, and cut a hundred jokes at the expense of
his poor associate. On they sped, cleaving swiftly through the cold
night winds, frightening the birds that were roosting in the woods,
and the owls that were watching in the towers.

In the twinkling of an eye, as it is known, devils can fly hundreds of
miles: so that almost the same beat of the clock which left these two
in Champagne found them hovering over Paris. They dropped into the
court of the Lazarist Convent, and winded their way, through passage
and cloister, until they reached the door of the prior's cell.

Now the prior, Rollo's brother, was a wicked and malignant sorcerer;
his time was spent in conjuring devils and doing wicked deeds, instead
of fasting, scourging, and singing holy psalms: this Mercurius knew;
and he, therefore, was fully at ease as to the final result of his
wager with poor Sir Roger.

"You seem to be well acquainted with the road," said the knight.

"I have reason," answered Mercurius, "having, for a long period, had
the acquaintance of his reverence, your brother; but you have little
chance with him."

"And why?" said Sir Rollo.

"He is under a bond to my master, never to say a prayer, or else his
soul and his body are forfeited at once."

"Why, thou false and traitorous devil!" said the enraged knight; "and
thou knewest this when we made our wager?"

"Undoubtedly: do you suppose I would have done so had there been any
chance of losing?"

And with this they arrived at Father Ignatius's door.

"Thy cursed presence