Volume V Part 59 (2/2)

”No, she only speaks English”

She went away, and as she had not returned by three o'clock I decided on calling to hear how she was I knocked at the door, and one of the aunts appeared and begged me not to enter as the two friends of the house were there in a fury against alt, there's Seingalt! He's going to kill o away!”

I went hohtest suspicion that it was all a lie I spent the whole day without eating anything; I could not s a lasses of strong waters I could obtain no rest

At nine o'clock the nextI knocked at the Charpillon's door, and the old aunt came and held it half open as before She forbadethat her niece was still delirious, continually calling on me in her transports, and that the doctor had declared that if the disease continued its course she had not twenty-four hours to live

”The fright you gave her has arrested her periods; she is in a terrible state”

”O, fatal hairdresser!” I exclaimed

”That was a mere youthful folly; you should have pretended not to have seen anything”

”You think that possible, you old witch, do you? Do not let her lack for anything; take that”

With these words I gave her a bank note for ten guineas and went away, like the fool I was On htened at o and see how the Charpillon really was, and then to come and pass the rest of the day with me An hour after he cairl was in extremis

”Did you see her?”

”No, they said she could see no one”

”Do you think it is all true?”

”I don't knohat to think; but one of the maids, who tells me the truth as a rule, assuredstopped, while she has also a fever and violent convulsions It is all credible enough, for these are the usual results of a shock when a woirl told me it was all your fault”

I then told him the whole story He could only pity me, but when he heard that I had neither eaten nor slept for the last forty-eight hours he said very wisely that if I did not take care I should lose my reason or my life I knew it, but I could find no reood As I could not eat I drank a good deal, and not being able to sleep I spent the night in striding up and down my roo heard nothing positive about the Charpillon, I went out at seven o'clock in theto call on her After I had waited a quarter of an hour in the street, the door was partly opened, and I saw the mother all in tears, but she would not let ony At the sa the n ourselves to the will of God I asked the infaood now,” said the old hypocrite, weeping anew, ”he is a minister of the Gospel, and there is another of thehter! In another hour she will be no more”

I felt as if an icy hand had closed upon ,--

”It is true that my hand dealt the blow, but her death lies at your door”

As I walked away my knees seemed to bend under me, and I entered my house deterave orders that I was not at hoot to s, snuff-boxes, purse and pocket-book in my casket, and shut it up in my escritoire I then wrote a letter to the Venetian ao to M de Bragadin after my death I sealed the letter and put it with the casket, and took the key with uineas I tookmyself in the Tha over ht soe as my pockets would hold, and as heavy as I could bear, to carry to the Tohere I intended to go on foot On thened in my purpose by the reflection, that if I continued to live I should be tormented for the remainder ofable to carry out my purpose without any effort, and I also felt a secret pride in e

I walked slowly on account of the enore to the bottom of the river