"Recommend—what?" asked Réné, seeing the queen hesitate.
"That the experiment shall be tried on the human brain, as more developed and more nearly sympathizing with the wishes of the consulter."
"Alas!" said Réné, "your majesty knows it is impossible."
"Difficult, at least," said Catharine; "if we had known this at Saint Bartholomew's, what a rich harvest we might have had—The first convict—but I will think of it. Meantime, let us do what we can. Is the chamber of sacrifice prepared?"
"Yes, madame."
"Let us go there."
Réné lighted a taper made of strange substances, the odor of which, both insidious and penetrating as well as nauseating and stupefying, betokened the introduction of many elements; holding this taper up, he preceded Catharine into the cell.
Catharine selected from amongst the sacrificial instruments a knife of blue steel, while Réné took up one of the two fowls that were huddling in one corner, with anxious, golden eyes.
"How shall we proceed?"
"We will examine the liver of the one and the brain of the other. If these two experiments lead to the same result we must be convinced, especially if these results coincide with those we got before."