Page:Visits from the world of spirits (NLS104185233).pdf/15

15 began exclaiming---Since nobody will deign to visit me, may the devils participate my fete.'---Saying which, he left his house, and went to church, where the curate was preaching He listened a long time with the greatest attention. Whilst he was there, several men on horseback, exceeding tall,and quite black, went into the gentleman's court-yard, met one of the servants, and commanded him to go and tell his master that his guests were come. The valet, greatly terrified, ran to the church to inform his master, who very much astonished, related it to the curate.

The latter finished his sermon, advised him to order all his family out of the house. This was no sooner said than executed; but in consequence of he haste that they made in escaping from that awful abode, they left in one of the rooms a little child sleeping in a cradle. The guests, or to speak more properly, the devils, began to overturn the tables, to how), to look out of the windows in the shape of hears, wolves, cats, and hobgoblins, holding in their hands glasses of wine, fish, and boiled and roasted joints of meat. As the neighbours, the gentleman, the curate, and others, were contemplating the like spectacle with horror, the poor father began to exclaim, "Alas! where is my poor infant?" The last words were scarcely from his lips, when one of the black wests brought the child in his arms in the windows and showed him to all