Pagina 465 de 483

"Do so, if you will; but I will not. You may give up your

purpose, but mine is assigned to me by Heaven, and I dare not. I

am weak, but surely the spirits who assist my vengeance will

endow me with sufficient strength." Saying this, he endeavoured

to spring from the bed, but the exertion was too great for him;

he fell back and fainted.

It was long before he was restored, and I often thought that life

was entirely extinct. At length he opened his eyes; he breathed

with difficulty and was unable to speak. The surgeon gave him a

composing draught and ordered us to leave him undisturbed. In the

meantime he told me that my friend had certainly not many hours

to live.