According to him, whoever, in his sleep, sees bells swinging, is menaced
by an accident; if the bell chimes, it is presage of slander; if it
falls, ataxia is certain; if it breaks, it is assurance of afflictions
and miseries. Finally he added, I believe, that if the night birds fly
around a bell by moonlight one may be sure that sacrilegious robbery
will be committed in the church, or that the curate's life is in danger.

"Be all that as it may, this business of touching the bells, getting up
into them--and you know they're consecrated--of attributing to them the
gift of prophecy, of involving them in the interpretation of dream--an
art formally forbidden in Leviticus--displeased me, and I demanded,
somewhat rudely, that he desist."

"But you did not quarrel?"

"No, and I confess I regret having been so hasty."

"Well then, I will arrange it. I shall go see him--agreed?" said Des
Hermies.

"By all means."

"With that we must run along and give you a chance to get to bed, seeing
that you have to be up at dawn."

"Oh, at half-past five for the six o'clock angelus, and then, if I want
to, I can go back to bed, for I don't have to ring again till a quarter
to eight, and then all I have to do is sound a couple of times for the
curate's mass. As you can see, I have a pretty easy thing of it."