their worst with the two into whom they had entered.  Consequently, they accompanied Mignon and the priest from Venier to an upper room, in which were seven narrow beds, of which two only were occupied, one by the mother superior and the other by the lay sister.  The superior, who was the more thoroughly possessed of the two, was surrounded by the Carmelite monks, the sisters belonging to the convent, Mathurin Rousseau, priest and canon of Sainte-Croix, and Mannouri, a surgeon from the town.

No sooner did the two magistrates join the others than the superior was seized with violent convulsions, writhing and uttering squeals in exact imitation of a sucking pig.  The two magistrates looked on in profound astonishment, which was greatly increased when they saw the patient now bury herself in her bed, now spring right out of it, the whole performance being accompanied by such diabolical gestures and grimaces that, if they were not quite convinced that the possession was genuine, they were at least filled with admiration of the manner in which it was simulated.  Mignon next informed the bailiff and the civil lieutenant, that although the superior had never learned Latin she would reply in that language to all the questions addressed to her, if such were their desire.  The magistrates answered that as they were there in order to examine thoroughly into the facts of the case, they begged the exorcists to give them every possible proof that the possession was real.  Upon this, Mignon approached the mother superior, and, having ordered everyone to be silent, placed two of his fingers in her mouth, and, having gone through the form of exorcism prescribed by the ritual, he asked the following questions word for word as they are given,

D. Why have you entered into the body of this young girl? 
R. Causa animositatis.  Out of enmity. 
D. Per quod pactum?  By what pact? 
R. Per flores.  By flowers. 
D. Quales?  What flowers? 
R. Rosas.  Roses. 
D. Quis misfit?  By whom wert thou sent?

At this question the magistrates remarked that the superior hesitated to reply; twice she opened her mouth in vain, but the third time she said in a weak voice—­

D. Dic cognomen?  What is his surname? 
R. Urbanus.  Urbain.

Here there was again the same hesitation, but as if impelled by the will of the exorcist she answered—­

R. Grandier.  Grandier. 
D. Dic qualitatem?  What is his profession? 
R. Sacerdos.  A priest. 
D. Cujus ecclesiae?  Of what church? 
R. Sancti Petri.  Saint-Pierre. 
D. Quae persona attulit
    flores?  Who brought the flowers? 
R. Diabolica.  Someone sent by the devil.

As the patient pronounced the last word she recovered her senses, and having repeated a prayer, attempted to swallow a morsel of bread which was offered her; she was, however, obliged to spit it out, saying it was so dry she could not get it down.