the woodwork and paper in his mad flight, and dropping the pearl in this drawer as he passed through here.—And if you want to know what has become of your medallion, look!"
He drew aside the curtains of the bed and pointed to the little copper crucifix suspended on the wall, and which was now completely gilded in melted gold.
"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 moulded 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
