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.

Something more liquid was then brought, but even of that she could swallow very little, as she fell into convulsions every few minutes.

Upon this the two officials, seeing there was nothing more to be got out of the superior, withdrew to one of the window recesses and began to converse in a low tone; whereupon Mignon, who feared that they had not been sufficiently impressed, followed them, and drew their attention to the fact that there was much in what they had just seen to recall the case of Gaufredi, who had been put to death a few years before in consequence of a decree of the Parliament of Aix, in Provence.  This ill-judged remark of Mignon showed so clearly what his aim was that the magistrates made no reply.  The civil lieutenant remarked that he had been surprised that Mignon had not made any attempt to find out the cause of the enmity of which the superior had spoken, and which it was so important to find out; but Mignon excused himself by saying that he had no right to put questions merely to gratify curiosity.  The civil lieutenant was about to insist on the matter being investigated, when the lay sister in her turn went into a fit, thus extricating Mignon from his embarrassment.  The magistrates approached the lay sister’s bed at once, and directed Mignon to put the same questions to her as to the superior:  he did so, but all in vain; all she would reply was, “To the other!  To the other!”

Mignon explained this refusal to answer by saying that the evil spirit which was in her was of an inferior order, and referred all questioners to Ashtaroth, who was his superior.  As this was the only explanation, good or bad, offered them by Mignon, the magistrates went away, and drew up a report of all they had seen and heard without comment, merely appending their signatures.