STORY OF THE DOM ISl'ILDKli.

75

length hurried off to her confessor, to consult him as to wliather master Lad bctter do.

The priest, wlien he had heard the whole matter from thegood woman, hegan to reflect.

" What!" said the holy man, " a cathcdral that wouldmake Cologno tlie marvel of all Germany and France !"

" But, father," interposed the dame, " my good master isto give Ins soul to the demon for it."

" A cathedral to which pilgrims would resort from allparts of the world!" continued the confessor, speaking tohiniself.

" That it should come to this after all the prayers I formerlytantjht him!" And the old nurse wrung her hands at thethought.

" A cathedral that would surpass all other Christiantemples in the world!" murmured the priest. " Here,my good woman, is a relic of the eleven thousand virgins.Give it your master. He must obtain the plan of this won-drous church from the arch-fiend before he signs the bond.Let him take this little bone of St, Ursula with him to theplace of meeting, and as soon as he gets the design intohis hand, let him show the relic to the evil one, and trustto the protection of the holy saints for the rest."

It was half-past eleven when the artist quitted Ins dwellingthat night, leaving his nurse upon her knees. Having con-cealed the relic she had given him under his cloak, he pro-ceeded to the appointed place, where he found the demon, whowas no longer in disguise, but arrayed in all his naturalhideousness.

" Here is the plan of the cathedral, and here the contractwhich you must sign," said the prince of darkness, as he placedthe two parchments in the hand of the trembling architect.