"I was only afraid of cats before, now I shall be afraid of men also."
"Come, mademoiselle, if you interrupt this young girl like that we shall never know her story. Go on, my child!"
Urbain glanced quickly at Blanche and resumed his narration.
"The black man told Jeanne that if she would give herself to him he would teach her a thousand secrets by which she could work good or evil to people according to her will. Jeanne Harviliers yielded to the proposition of the devil, and pronounced the formula which he dictated; she soon became a famous magician, riding to the witches' sabbaths on a broomstick.
"Jeanne practised her art near Verberie, but, being accused of sorcery, she was for some time obliged to hide herself. She had a neighbor who disclosed her whereabouts, and Jeanne asked the devil to give her a charm, that she might revenge herself. He gave her a powder, telling her to place it in a road where her enemy was about to pass, and it would give the latter a malady of which she would die. Jeanne did as the devil had told her, and placed the charm; but another person passed first over the road, and it was she who was the victim. Jeanne, distressed at seeing the sick woman, confessed to her that she had caused her misfortune and promised to cure her, but she could not do as she wished for she was then arrested and thrown into prison. They questioned her; she confessed that she was a sorcerer, and was condemned to be burned alive. She was executed on the last day of April in the year 1578."
"How is that? She was a sorcerer and she let them burn her?" said Blanche with astonishment.
"Yes, mademoiselle."
"How funny that is, and what use was it to her to be a sorcerer then?"
"Blanche you are far too young to argue like that," said Marguerite.
"And the devil, did they burn him also?"