Pliny tells us in his history that its signs are either imaginary or very uncertain.* One who bears upon her the fourteen signs of corruption may yet be pure in the eyes of the angels, and, on the contrary, another who has been pronounced pure by the matrons who inspected her may know that her good appearance is due to the artifices of a cunning perversity.

As for the purity of this holy girl here, I would put my hand in the fire in witness of it." * We have vainly sought for this phrase in Pliny's "Natural History."-- Editor.
He spoke thus because he was the Devil.

But old Mael did not know it.

He asked the pious Orberosia: "My daughter, how, would you proceed to conquer so fierce an animal as he who devoured you ?" The virgin answered: "To-morrow at sunrise, O Mael, you will summon the people together on the hill in front of the desolate moor that extends to the Coast of Shadows, and you will take care that no man of the Penguins remains less than five hundred paces from those rocks so that he may not be poisoned by the monster's breath.

And the dragon will come out of the rocks and I will put my girdle round his neck and lead him like an obedient dog." "Ought you not to be accompanied by a courageous and pious man who will kill the dragon ?" asked Mael.
"It will be as thou sayest, venerable father.