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Although his victim was unconscious, Pere Lactance continued to strike; so that, having lost consciousness through pain, pain soon brought him back to life. De Laubardemont took advantage of this revival to take his turn at demanding a confession of his crimes; but Grandier said "I have committed no crimes, sir, only errors.
At the eighth wedge the bones gave way, and the marrow oozed out of the wounds, and it became useless to drive in any more wedges, the legs being now as flat as the boards that compressed them, and moreover Pere Lactance was quite worn out.
Although his victim was unconscious, Pere Lactance continued to strike; so that, having lost consciousness through pain, pain soon brought him back to life. De Laubardemont took advantage of this revival to take his turn at demanding a confession of his crimes; but Grandier said "I have committed no crimes, sir, only errors.
Meanwhile the Bishop of Poitiers, who felt much elated at getting the better of the Archbishop of Bordeaux, who of course was powerless against an order issued by the cardinal-duke, took exception to Pere l'Escaye and Pere Gaut, the exorcists appointed by his superior, and named instead his own chaplain, who had been judge at Grandier's first trial, and had passed sentence on him, and Pere Lactance, a Franciscan monk.
"That is badly argued," said Lactance sharply: "a demon outside the body is indeed stronger than you, but when enclosed in a weak frame such as this it cannot show such strength, for its efforts are proportioned to the strength of the body it possesses." "Enough!" said M. de Laubardemont; "we did not come here to argue with philosophers, but to build up the faith of Christians."
As Pere Lactance drove in the sixth wedge Grandier fainted anew.
The physicians having completed their examination, gave the following certificate: "We have found no wound in the patient's side, no rent in her vestments, and our search revealed no sharp instrument hidden in the folds of her dress." These preliminaries having been got through, Pere Lactance questioned her in French for nearly two hours, her answers being in the same language.
"On the following morning the journey was resumed, but the evident distress of mind under which Pere Lactance laboured had so damped the spirits of the party that all their gaiety had disappeared. Suddenly, just outside Fenet, where the road was in excellent condition and no obstacle to their progress apparent, the carriage upset for the second time.
"Si ton gentil esprit prend bien cette science, Tu mettras en repos ta bonne conscience." Upon this, M. de Laubardemont demanded the girl's name; but Grandier assured him it should never pass his lips, none knowing it but himself and God. Thereupon M. de Laubardemont ordered Pere Lactance to insert the third wedge.
The superior, in reply to the interrogations of Pere Lactance, stated that the demon had entered her body under the forms of a cat, a dog, a stag, and a buck-goat. "Quoties?"
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