, 1883-10-20

so that one day, when the placing of
the bird was spoken of, the worthy
divine could not help saying to one
Of his colleagues, that "candidly he
lOnged to he rid Of this hOrrid beast"
Saying which, whether Influenced by
remorse for this flash of superstition
or from some fatal presentiment, he
stared for a moment, bent his head,
and made the sign of the cross. Now
that you know the locality and the
prologue Of the tragedy, l will show
you the victim.
The man who is now entering the
hall of the presbytery, it is he; he is
the one who is doomed.
What he is, what his name is,
where he comes from, what matters
it? He is, if you wish it, any one, the
artisan who chanced to be there when
workman of his profession was
needed; in short, he is a man; is not
that enough?
Here he is, as sanguine in his own
life as you may be yourself confident
in yours while am speaking. His
cap in his hand, helistens with defer
encC to the words of the priest, nod
ding his head slowly while listening
to the explanations given to him,
calculating with a thoughtful and
intelligent look the difficulties and
expense Of his task. He passes his
hand across his forehead, rubs his
chin, names his reward; so much for
the pole, so much for the ropes, so
much for the hooks and rings, so
much for the trouble
And for the life? ?
The risks are not paid for that is
his business.
The bargain is concluded. ~ He
bows with h smile and retires. As
he crssses the threshold, the good
priest, suddenly seized by terrible
anguish, calls him back, inquiries in
a tender voice if he is very sure of
his strength and courage; if he does
not fear giddiness, if he has well
forseen and calculated all the dangers
Of the undertaking.
The man looks at him with an as
tOnished air, pulls up his sleeve to
show his arms, strikes with his hand
his enormous limbs, swells out his
chest, and, lifting his head, stands
erect like Titan ready to scale the
heavens. And he goes home, poor
man, to rest.
Now is the time. The sun has
risen two hours since. Refreshed by
a good sleep, restored by a solid meal,
the brave tiler climbs the steps of the
steeple, followed by the two assist
ants, who carry up to the platform
the weather-cOck, the pole and the
ropes. y
All the population of Saint-Vrain,
swellcd by a concourse of people
from the surrounding parishes,
crowds at the foot of the steeple.
The gcndarmcs, keeping sentry,
come and go, with cadenced step,
around the parvise, to maintain an
empty space in case Something"
should fall from the top Of the spire.
The large door Of the nave, opening
on the side of the tower, is close to
the public. In the church some old
Women, with anxious, plying hearts,
burn tapers and say prayers for the
unknown man who up there is going
to risk his life The priest, turning
with a trembling hand the pages of
his breviary, bustles about in the
vestry-room, not daring to go out to
look, or to speak to anybody, or to
ask for news.
Suddenly sort of yelling; dull and
prolonged, rises from the midst of
the crowd gathered in the streets
the man has appeared on the plat
form. Partly seen within the open
ing Of the door, he seems to be pull
ing at something, and, in fact, is un-
rolling the ropes that he lays in
bundles on the edge of the parapet.
He afterwards can be seen putting
up along the base of the spire pole
higher than himself, and finally
wrapping in some covering the vane
which he deposits between the para
pet and the wall.
He is at the foot Of the spire. A
horizontal ledge, three feet wide, al
lows him to stand and to walk. He
goes around the spire and encircles
it tightly with thick rope fastened
by a running knot. Within this rope
he passes two others which are hang
ing and fastened, one to the bird, the
other to the epole.
And now he starts. Facing the
roof, he has girded his loins with the
thick rope, the running knot of which
he tightens until it draws him near
enough to the roof, and then using
his handsand knees, he pushes him
self sideways, rising little at every
movement, tracing thus the first turn
of the spiral which brings him to the
first projecting stone. There he fixes
hook fastened to his breast by
strong leather strap, and, with his
two disengaged hands, he unloosens
the sliding knot, tightens the thick
rope, begins his second revolution,
reaches the second projecting stone.
Forty times during an hour that
seemed longer than a century the
terrified spectators saw him appear
and disappear successively higher,
higher and higher, ,quickerand quick
er, the ascension becoming easier as
the diameter of the spire decreased,
He thus broupht his head on a level