Volume III Part 84 (2/2)
”She will die of convulsions or of an apoplectic fit to-night if you do not call a doctor, who may possibly restore her to life with a dose of castor oil”
”We have thought of that, but we did not dare to take that step for fear of consequences; for whether he restores her or not, he will say that we have poisoned her”
”I pity you, upon my soul! Indeed, I believe that it is too late, and that a doctor could do nothing One must obey the laws of prudence and let her die The mischief is done, and I see no reht to think of her soul and send for a priest”
”A priest would do her no good, as she is in a perfect lethargy; her soul is safe enough Besides, an ignorant priest would find out too h malice or stupidity
It will be time to call a priest when she has ceased to breathe You reat deal, and give hirief, and nothing about the sudden death”
”Then we must let her die?”
”We must leave her to nature”
”If she dies I will send a er to the abbess, ill dispatch another lay-sister”
”Yes, and that will give you another ten days During that time you may be delivered, and you will confess that every cloud has a silver lining
Do not grieve so, but let us endeavour to submit to the will of God
Send for the country-woive her some hints as to her conduct in this delicate matter, on which the honour and life of all three may depend For instance, if it were discovered that I had coht be taken for the poisoner”
The woman came, and I shewed her how necessary it was for her to be prudent and discreet She understood erous position, and promised that she would not send for the priest till she was certain of the sister's death I thenherself made rich byinto tears promised to follow an to weep bitterly, accusing herself of thethat she saw hell opening beneath her feet I sought in vain to calrief increased, and at last she fell in a dead faint on the sack I was extre what to do I called to the woar, as I had no essences about me All at once I remembered the famous hellebore, which had servedthe little box, I held it to her nostrils It took effect just as the woar ”Rub her temples,” said I She took off her cap, and the blackness of her hair was the only thing that convinced ht her to her senses, she opened her large black eyes, and from that mo that she was herself again and out of danger, went away, and taking her between my arms I covered her with fiery kisses, in spite of her continuous sneezes
”Please let ain,” said she, ”or else I shall be excohed at her fears, and continued to lavishkisses on her face
”I see you do not believe me, but I assure you that the abbess threatened me with excommunication if I let er, dear, they cannot hurt you”
But she sneezed ht bring on her delivery I called the wo to return at the same hour on the next day
It would not have been likecreature in her distress, but my devotion to her cause had no merit, since I was madly in love with this new M---- M---- with black eyes; and love always makes men selfish, since all the sacrifices they make for the beloved object are always ultimately referable to their own desires
I had determined, then, to do all in my power for her, and certainly not to allow her to return to the convent in the state she was in I concluded that to save her would be an action pleasing to God, since God alone could have made her so like ood deal of money, and had made me find the Zeroli, ould serve as a shi+eld to my actions and baffle the curiosity of spies
The philosophers and the h atall the actions of ed et the Zeroli, and I went to her rooo in quietly for fear of awakening her, and then left me and shut the door I knew my part, for I remembered hoenty years before, a Venetian lady, whose sleep I had foolishly respected, had laughed at me and sentgently uncovered her, I gave hts which sweeten the final pleasure The Zeroli wisely continued to sleep; but at last, conquered by passion, she seconded ed to laugh at her stratageone to Geneva to buy a repeating watch, and that he would not return till next day, and that she could spend the night with ht, dearest, while we have the day before us? The night is for sluht allows all the senses to be satisfied at once If you do not expect anybody, I will pass the whole ood; nobody will interrupt us”
I was soon in her arave ourselves up to every kind of pleasure, cheating each other the better to succeed, and laughing with delight each time we convinced each other of our love
After the last assault she asked me, in return for her kindness, to spend three more days at Aix
”I proiving ”