"Water," said the surgeon, "is sufficiently precious; I have never attempted anything else."
"You know, perhaps," continued the gossip; "It is not yet ten years ago, since Jacob Aymar, from Dauphiné discovered by means of his divining-rod, a murder that had been committed long before. The story created the greatest sensation in Paris and at Lyons at the time. I was then in Paris with my brother, the universally celebrated great doctor, and saw myself the simple peasant, who could perform such miraculous deeds. My brother, who is a very speculating philosopher, repaired hither at this extraordinary discovery, and employed all sorts of remarkable essays, so-called experiments in the presence of persons of distinction, and they succeeded admirably. But the rod must be cut from a hazel branch at midnight, at the full moon, and without uttering a word at the time."
"That is superstition," said Godfred, "any rod can answer the purpose, if the hand possesses the gift."
"What do you know," exclaimed the former, hastily, "about Philosophia Occulta? you are always on the side of the sceptics, in everything. Do you think that Moses' staff was anything else than such a divining-rod? It must discover money just as easily as water; indeed, it must guess the thoughts, and thereby ward off future crimes. Every city, every village under a reasonable government should have its priviledged rod-walker."
"Impiety," said Godfred, "sufficient calamity happens already without this superstition. The silly hazel-rod should be applied to the backs of all such fellows."
The musician made a wry face and would have answered angrily, when Eveline uttered a loud joyous "Ah!" an old peasant passed by, followed by a large dog. The Lord of Beauvais had risen, Eveline blushed, and at a sign from her father remained behind. The old peasant cast a searching glance into the bower, but the Counsellor looked a negative, without those present being able to observe it, and the peasant proceeded on his way without forming an acquaintance with the company. But not so the great dog, that no sooner had he snuffed the air, than he instantly leaped over the palings of the garden, and howling and whining with joy, jumped in a hundred playful gambols round the Counsellor and his daughter, and then lay down, placed his two paws on their persons and recommenced his frolics anew. It was in vain that Eveline cried out, "Away, away! what does this nasty strange dog want here?" she wished to pretend to be angry, but the absurd antics of the well-known Hector, forced her to burst into a loud laugh.
"Peter Florval," said Dubois, "you must be known to the dog."
"Not that I know of," replied the Counsellor, somewhat embarrassed; "he must have come from some farm in my former neighbourhood."
"It may be so," answered the musician, "but the peasant though ought to have come in here; what frightened him away from us? surely we are not such great folks."
Hector, that now heard old Frantz whistle from a distance, stood irresolute on the alert, looked inquiringly at the Counsellor, and then seemed to wait for Frantz, and danced round Eveline again; at length, however, a second loud whistle called him away. The Counsellor said, "I must go and see whether the old man is known to me, come with me daughter." They both, left the garden. "One easily becomes over cautious," observed he, after having heartily welcomed his faithful servant; "Had you only known for what we pass here, it had been better to have come in at once. But you have not yet spoken with Mr. Vila?" "It has been impossible for me to visit him yet," said Frantz, "for my journey detained me too long: an accident brings me to this village, where, indeed, I did not suppose you to be, the royalists, who in large bands keep the mountains in a state of siege, obliged me to turn away from the high road. But now, my dear master, no one can pass over the frontiers, the watches and precautions have been redoubled; every one in the country is already suspected, how much more so should he desire to quit it, even the passports from government are no longer respected."