Page:Georges Eekhoud - Escal Vigor, a novel.djvu/188

164 under the motions of his crook reddened in hell-fire, bitten at the heels by his black and red dog, resembling a half-burnt brand, a brand from the eternal furnace, the dog which shares his master's fate, and the half of whose body begins to burn again when the other half has resumed the appearance of life.

"This is what these phantoms have confided to me:—

Long, long ago Gerard was the shepherd of a couple of old and miserly peasants, living in a remote and isolated spot, full of steppes and deserts, like those down there at Klaarvatsch. No one knew from whence he came. When he was discovered for the first time he might have been fifteen years of age; he ran about half dressed; his appearance was like that of a wild animal and it was necessary to teach him to speak, like a child. At a venture, the old misers had him baptised, and taking him into their service brought him up to guard their sheep. He only cost them his pittance which was worse than frugal, and by taking him they had the credit of doing a good action.

"Doubtless mother Nature cherished this wild lad, for engendered by, one knows not