old military ardour is probably aroused within him. I too, retired in my solitary village in the mountains, when I heard of these proceedings was fired, or inspired with them, and formed the resolution of also rendering my poor services to God and the king, my parishoners would not hear of it: by Jove! they have no heroism in them, they have an antipathy to wounds and death, or they have secret dealings with the Camisards, as I have always suspected that satan's brood of it, for much as I have loudly and zealously harangued them in the pulpit, they almost invariably slept during my sermon: that they were thus insensible to my loud exhortations, is alone a proof, that they must have been possessed by the devil. In pursuance of my design, I assembled some people together, two Spanish deserters, three Savoyards, five fellows who had escaped from prison, and two prodigiously bold tinkers. It was at the time, when Cavalier had so incomprehensively taken the town of Sauve in the middle of the mountains and laid it under contribution. We marched directly against them, passing St. Hipolite, for I received intelligence that this rebel commander had abandoned his corps with a small troop. We met him just as we issued from a narrow defile in the mountains, I called to him to surrender; he resisted, bang! I shot a fellow dead, who was standing by him, I fell upon them with sword and gun and broke their ranks--sir, it was an epoch in my life, it was as if three regiments were in my body--shots were fired, I looked back,---there lay my whole army cut down behind me by a few villains--my courage failed, I rode off as fast as my horse would carry me, it was the same hungarian horse, my good sir, now, in your stable,--I am saved.

"Cavalier, as I understand, was a reasonable man, but the knave, who is called after the late Marshal Catinat, stirred up the others; they march into my village, persuade my penitents to join them, set fire to my house and even to my dear dilapidated church, and have sworn to hew me into ten thousand pieces, if I ever shew myself there again. Now as I have suffered all this for the sake of my country, it is but just that reparation should be made to me for the loss I have sustained, and I am shortly to receive a better living with a good Catholic Christian community herein the neighbourhood of Nismes. Thus was my chivalrous expedition terminated; but I have sworn, that wherever I see but one, or more of these murderous dogs--were there a hundred, to make them feel my vengeance."

The Counsellor turned with indignation from the priest and his countenance brightened as Edmond, in a different dress, entered the hall. "This is witch's weather," said he, and kissed his father's hand, which the latter held out to him kindly. He then mingled with the company and soon entered into conversation with the loquacious priest.

"As I was saying," recommenced the latter in his clamorous manner, "these numskulls have something quite peculiar and incomprehensible in them. Even the children, urchins of three years old, pretend to exhort and preach atonement, they can speak as familiarly of every sin, as if they had long ago gone through the whole catalogue of them, this is a well known fact; moreover, it frequently happens, that these devil's nurslings even prophecy, and most of them speak in good and distinct French about what probably they have never heard in their lives--this may be explained by all who like explanations, some say, that they are in a fit, others that they are possessed with the devil, those of their own party take it for inspiration. Above there in Alais, some hundreds of them assemble, great and small, old and young, prophecying among one another, that the walls of their prison might be broken down. The medical college of Montpellier has transferred itself thither, each doctor has taken with him his hat and cloak; I believe they have also carried with them the antique mantle of Rabelais, in order to be quite perfect in their art. I hear they have now observed, discoursed, disputed, calculated, speculated, deduced, and what is the result? that we are as wise as before. These learned gentlemen declare, that it cannot be taken for divine inspiration because it is opposed to the king and the clergy; and still less can they be possessed by the devil, in as much as they speak and sing only spiritual things and do not as yet know the ways of that gentleman, neither, say they, could it proceed from fits, or any other bodily infirmity, but it was to them something quite unheard of and new; it may well be termed new, and, therefore, must appropriately be called fanaticism and the people denominated fanatics." "There may be many things," interrupted the huntsman hastily, "that are inexplicable; with your reverence's permission, my opinion is, that they are all bewitched; for, if you have no objection, that is the easiest explanation of the matter; therefore, there is no such great injustice in burning them--always excepting Mr. Cavalier, for whom I should be very sorry--and the reason which might tolerate such proceedings is, that they may not by degrees infect the whole community, for it is very evident that the evil is spreading daily and is communicated from one to the other. Witchcraft is just as much something corporeal as well as spiritual, something visible as well as invisible, and not only men, but also houses, mountains and rivers may be enchanted; I have experienced this myself in the course of my life."

"And how?" enquired the Counsellor. "Do you not know the wide-spreading ash, which stands in the field between the castle of Castelnau and the town of Alais? at no great distance from that is the large, old olive-tree, which, they say, is three, or four hundred years old, but it is so far certain, that both the trees, particularly the ash, may be seen at the distance of many miles from the plain as well as from the mountains."

"I know both these trees very well," said Edmond.

"Now," continued the huntsman, "under the ash it is not safe. While I was yet a boy in the service of the father of the present lady of Castelnau, who almost always resided at Alais, for the castle was thought to be too lonely for her, I went out as I often did, to shoot hares: It was towards evening and a storm like that of to-day overtook me, I sought shelter under the great ash to escape getting wet through, but scarcely had I leaned against the trunk, gracious sir, than I was seized with indescribable agitation and fear, my heart began to beat, a tremor came over me, I was terrified--I was compelled to quit my shelter--I was wet through--I returned, and again the same sensations under the tree; it was not permitted to me to remain there, I was obliged to go into the open space while the rain was falling as if heaven and earth would come together. The next morning it was bright midday and summer weather, said I to myself, dolt! wert thou frightened because it was dark, perhaps thou wert terrified at the claps of thunder; wilt thou become a noble huntsman if thou hast such little heart,--so I went half laughing under the tree, I fancied myself sleeping under its shade,--but no such thing! I was seized with greater terror and agitation than ever, my teeth chattered and an icy coldness chilled me, I fled from the spot.--I mentioned the circumstance to an old forester: 'Fool!' said he, 'have not the huntsmen told you that the tree permits no one to stand under it?' It is an old story. He could not tell me the reason of this, but warned me not to play any tricks with it. However, I did not follow his advice, but returned to it with a young lad. To him it was productive of evil, for he became sick unto death with the fright; since that time, I avoid the tree and so does every one who knows it. It must have been bewitched some time or other."

"Heaven only knows, what may be the meaning of all this," began the priest, "we live at least in times when events occur, which formerly would have been deemed