“But, my lords, while Heaven was thus miraculously explaining itself by the mouths of its holy interpreters, another light has just been thrown upon us.  At the very time the judges were absorbed in profound meditation, a loud cry was heard near the hall of council; and upon going to the spot, we found the body of a young lady of high birth.  She had just exhaled her last breath in the public street, in the arms of the reverend Father Mignon, Canon; and we learned from the said father here present, and from several other grave personages, that, suspecting the young lady to be possessed, by reason of the current rumor for some time past of the admiration Urbain Grandier had for her, an idea of testing it happily occurred to the Canon, who suddenly said, approaching her, ‘Grandier has just been put to death,’ whereat she uttered one loud scream and fell dead, deprived by the demon of the time necessary for giving her the assistance of our holy Mother, the Catholic Church.”

A murmur of indignation arose from the crowd, among whom the word “Assassin” was loudly reechoed; the halberdiers commanded silence with a loud voice, but it was obtained rather by the judge resuming his address, the general curiosity triumphing.

“Oh, infamy!” he continued, seeking to fortify himself by exclamations; “upon her person was found this work, written by the hand of Urbain Grandier,” and he took from among his papers a book bound in parchment.

“Heavens!” cried Urbain from his seat.

“Look to your prisoner!” cried the judge to the archers who surrounded him.

“No doubt the demon is about to manifest himself,” said Father Lactantius, in a sombre voice; “tighten his bonds.”  He was obeyed.

The judge-Advocate continued, “Her name was Madeleine de Brou, aged nineteen.”

“O God! this is too much!” cried the accused, as he fell fainting on the ground.

The assembly was deeply agitated; for a moment there was an absolute tumult.

“Poor fellow! he loved her,” said some.

“So good a lady!” cried the women.

Pity began to predominate.  Cold water was thrown upon Grandier, without his being taken from the court, and he was tied to his seat.  The Judge-Advocate went on: 

“We are directed to read the beginning of this book to the court,” and he read as follows: 

“’It is for thee, dear and gentle Madeleine, in order to set at rest thy troubled conscience, that I have described in this book one thought of my soul.  All those thoughts tend to thee, celestial creature, because in thee they return to the aim and object of my whole existence; but the thought I send thee, as ’twere a flower, comes from thee, exists only in thee, and returns to thee alone.

“’Be not sad because thou lovest me; be not afflicted because I adore thee.  The angels of heaven, what is it that they do?  The souls of the blessed, what is it that is promised