escence. All the forces of the priest's persuasions and commands were brought to bear upon him: denunciations of his apathetic spiritual state were thundered into his ears; the threats which a vile priesthood are so well accustomed to keep at their command were produced on the occasion; so that the little draper was at length constrained to enter into the holy father's plans with all the soul he had—and it was not much—lest that soul should burn and suffer in the fires of purgatory for too long a term. Ave Maria! And soon the reverend priest with his submissive slave, began with all energy to arrange the plan for their murderous retaliation.
The monk first purchased the most valuable articles from the mercer's store—not a very extensive one—and had them conveyed away; then they privately removed a number of inferior goods from a small room adjoining the store, under the principal apartment of the house, which was on the second story: the little room in question had no external communication with the rear of the premises, so they would not be interrupted. The mercer then procured a quantity of sulphur, ostensibly for the purpose of dyeing draperies; and the priest
