The court had by this time made up its
mind. It was expressly laid down in the
code that a magician could be condemned on
conjectures and presumptions alone. It was
not needful to go further, and indeed the
behavior of the skeleton had offered a great
deal more than mere presumption. Still, for
form's sake and judicial decency, the pris-
oner himself should be examined. If he
could be brought to confess, so much the
more salutary the example. An order was
issued that the accused man should be con-
fronted with the judge alone, the clerk being



THE SECRET OF NARCI88E. 221

concealed behind a screen to take down the
questions and repUes. The judge, a harsh
old pedant^ stuffed like an intellectual ortolan
with useless and misleading knowledge, yet
underneath it all as superstitious as the most
ignorant peasant of the Barrois, drew the
folds of his rich cloak of vair more closely
about him, as the dreadful wizard was intro-
duced. In a manuscript note-book at his
side were jotted down headings of procedure
in cases of sorcery, and the judge glanced at
these as he directed his inquiry. His code
told him to attend sharply to the demeanor
of the accused, to observe whether he shed
tears, whether he looked upon the ground,
whether he shuddered, whether he blas-
phemed.
None of these indications were able to
help him in the case of the prisoner, Nar-



222 THE SECRET OF NARCI88E.
