He desired us to join hands and to observe profound silence; above all
he ordered us not to ask the apparition any question. He desired the
Englishman and myself, whom he seemed to distrust the most, constantly
to hold two naked swords crossways an inch above his head as long as the
conjuration should last. We formed a half-moon round him; the Russian
officer placed himself close to the English lord, and was the nearest to
the altar. The sorcerer stood upon the satin carpet with his face
turned to the east. He sprinkled holy water in the direction of the
four cardinal points of the compass, and bowed three times before the
Bible. The formula of the conjuration, of which we did not understand a
word, lasted for the space of seven or eight minutes, at the end of
which he made a sign to those who stood close behind to seize him firmly
by the hair. Amid the most violent convulsions he called the deceased
three times by his name, and the third time he stretched forth his hand
towards the crucifix.

On a sudden we all felt at the same instant a stroke as of a flash of
lightning, so powerful that it obliged us to quit each other's hands; a
terrible thunder shook the house; the locks jarred; the doors creaked;
the cover of the silver box fell down and extinguished the light; and on
the opposite wall over the chimney-piece appeared a human figure in a
bloody shirt, with the paleness of death on its countenance.

"Who calls me?" said a hollow, hardly intelligible voice.

"Thy friend," answered the sorcerer, "who respects thy memory, and prays
for thy soul." He named the prince.

The answers of the apparition were always given at very long intervals.