La Poule Noire (The Black Pullet)

to support me. He placed his lantern original: fanal in my hand, then taking me in his arms, he carried me near the opening of the pyramid from which he had emerged: he laid me down gently on the sand, squeezed my hand affectionately, and made me understand by a sign that he was going to enter the pyramid and return promptly. I was giving thanks to heaven for this unexpected help it had sent me, when the old man reappeared holding a flask in his hand: he removed its cork, then poured out several drops of a liqueur liqueur: here referring to an alchemical elixir or restorative medicinal cordial rather than a recreational drink and gave it to me to drink; a delicious perfume spread around me; no sooner had this divine liquid reached my stomach than I felt myself reborn, and I had enough strength to enter the pyramid with my benevolent and generous guide.

We stopped for a moment. He went to replace the stone that had fallen, securing it with an iron bar; then he took me by the arm, and we descended a gentle slope into the interior of the pyramid; after walking for some time along the same path, which made several twists and turns, we arrived at a door which he opened by a secret original: par un secret; this refers to a hidden mechanical latch or a concealed architectural device common in Gothic and occult literature; he re-