“‘There is no pardon,’ said Christ.
“‘Ah!’ said His Sacred Majesty, ‘if only I had a glass of Andalusian wine!’
“‘Come,’ said Satan, ‘past is the time of wine, of meats and fowls.’
“And he bore away to the uttermost deeps of hell the soul of the poor emperor, still munching his fragment of anchovy.
“Satan for pity left it to him. Then I saw Madame the Virgin leading Claes to the highest height of heaven, there where was naught but stars hanging like clusters of grapes to the vaulted roof. And there angels laved him and he became handsome and young. Then they gave him rystpap to eat, in silver spoons. And heaven closed again.”
“He is in glory,” said the widow.
“The ashes beat against my heart,” said Ulenspiegel.
LXXX
During the next three and twenty days Katheline grew white, and thin, drying up as though she were devoured by a fire within more consuming than the fire of madness.