"This is what he did with your medallion!"
And, plunging his hand into the receptacle for the holy water, he drew out the glass covers of the medallion, which were molded together with the flower in the centre.
"And this is what he did with the rest!"
Balthazar gazed upon his friend with astonishment. He did not know what to expect next.
"And now, if you want to know how he went out," continued Cornelius as he dragged him to the window, "look!"
He pointed to the top pane of the window, which was pierced by a little hole about the size of a cent.
"But what does all this mean!" exclaimed Balthazar, who began to believe that he, too, was taking leave of his senses. "Who did this?"
"Why, you fool! Can't you see that the house has been struck by lightning!"
Balthazar might have been struck by lightning, too, for that matter, as he was more dead than alive, when he at last realized how they had all been deceived by the hand of Nature. A loud noise was heard outside. They both rushed to the window and looked out.
A crowd surrounded the house as four officers, carrying a stretcher, on which Christina was lying, entered the front door!