The time for this occurred every year and lasted five days.

Later, when this belief had become fixed among the people, the priests of that religion saw in it a chance of profit and so they exploited 'the deep and dark prison where remorse reigns,' as Zarathustra called it.

They declared that by the payment of a small coin it was possible to save a soul from a year of torture, but as in that religion there were sins punishable by three hundred to a thousand years of suffering, such as lying, faithlessness, failure to keep one's word, and so on, it resulted that the rascals took in countless sums.

Here you will observe something like our purgatory, if you take into account the differences in the religions." A vivid flash of lightning, followed by rolling thunder, caused Doray to start up and exclaim, as she crossed herself: "_Jesus, Maria, y Jose!_ I'm going to leave you, I'm going to burn some sacred palm and light candles of penitence." The rain began to fall in torrents.

The Sage Tasio, watching the young woman leave, continued: "Now that she is not here, we can consider this matter more rationally.