"Is it the person whom you thought of?" demanded the whole company.

"The same."

A sudden change manifested itself on every face; no more laughter was to
be heard. All eyes were fixed with curiosity on the Sicilian.

"Monsieur l'Abbe! The matter grows serious," said the Englishman.
"I advise you to think of beating a retreat."

"The fellow is in league with the devil," exclaimed the Frenchman, and
rushed out of the house. The ladies ran shrieking from the room. The
virtuoso followed them. The German prebendary was snoring in a chair.
The Russian officer continued sitting in his place as before, perfectly
indifferent to what was passing.

"Perhaps your attention was only to raise a laugh at the expense of that
boaster," said the prince, after they were gone, "or would you indeed
fulfil your promise to us?"

"It is true," replied the Sicilian; "I was but jesting with the abbe.
I took him at his word, because I knew very well that the coward would
not suffer me to proceed to extremities. The matter itself is, however,
too serious to serve merely as a jest."

"You grant, then, that it is in your power?"

The sorcerer maintained a long silence, and kept his look fixed steadily
on the prince, as if to examine him.