Pagina 222 di 1294

He had not reckoned on having trinkets to hide. He had only

thought of money, and so had not prepared a hiding-place.

"But now, now, what am I glad of?" he thought, "Is that hiding

things? My reason's deserting me--simply!"

He sat down on the sofa in exhaustion and was at once shaken by

another unbearable fit of shivering. Mechanically he drew from a

chair beside him his old student's winter coat, which was still

warm though almost in rags, covered himself up with it and once

more sank into drowsiness and delirium. He lost consciousness.

Not more than five minutes had passed when he jumped up a second

time, and at once pounced in a frenzy on his clothes again.

"How could I go to sleep again with nothing done? Yes, yes; I

have not taken the loop off the armhole! I forgot it, forgot a

thing like that! Such a piece of evidence!"

He pulled off the noose, hurriedly cut it to pieces and threw the

bits among his linen under the pillow.