who hath at my persuasion assigned his soul to him in exchange for power, riches, knowledge, magical gifts, or whatever else his heart chiefly desireth; nor until this present year have I perilled the fulfilment of my obligation.  Seest thou these scrolls?  They are the assignments of which I have spoken.  It would amaze thee to scan the subscriptions, and perceive in these the signatures of men exemplary in the eyes of their fellows, clothed with high dignities in Church and State—­nay sometimes redolent of the very odour of sanctity.  Never hath my sagacity deceived me until this year, when, smitten with the fair promise of a youth of singular impishness, I omitted to take due note of his consumptive habit, and have but this afternoon encountered his funeral.  This is the last day of my year, and should my engagement be unredeemed when the sun attains the cusp of that nethermost house of heaven which he is even now traversing, I must become an inmate of the infernal kingdom.  No time has remained for nice investigation.  I have therefore proved the courage of the Venetian youth in the manner thou knowest, and thou alone hast sustained the ordeal.  Fail not at my bidding, or thou quittest not this chamber alive.  For when the Demon comes to bear me away, he will assuredly rend thee in pieces for being found in my company.  Thou hast, therefore, everything to gain and nothing to lose by joining the goodly fellowship of my mates and partners.  Delay not, time urges, night deepens, they that would drink thy blood are abroad.  Hearest thou not the moaning and pelting of the rising storm, and the muttering and scraping of my imprisoned goblins?  Save us, I entreat, I command, save us both!”

Screaming with agitation the aged sorcerer laid a scroll engrossed with fairly written characters before the youth, stabbed the latter’s arm with a stylus that at once evoked and collected the crimson stream, thrust this into his hand and strove to guide it to the parchment, chanting at the same time litanies to the infernal powers.  The crystal flagons rang like one great harmonica with shrill but spirit-stirring music; volumes of vaporous perfumes diffused themselves through the apartment, and an endless procession of treasure-laden figures defiled before the bewildered youth.  He seemed buried in the opulence of the world, as he sat up to his waist in gold and jewels; all the earth’s beauty gazed at him through eyes brilliant and countless as the stars of heaven; courtiers beckoned him to thrones; battle-steeds neighed and pawed for his mounting; laden tables allured every appetite; vassals bent in homage; slaves fell prostrate at his feet.  Now he seemed to collect or disperse legions of spirits with the waving of a wand; anon, as he pronounced a spell, golden dragons glided away from boughs laden with golden fruits.  Well for him, doubtless, that in him Nature had kneaded from ordinary clay as unimaginative a youth as could be found in Venice:  yet even so, dazzled with glamour,