"Save nne--save nne, nny darling. I d0 n0t want t0 die--0h, save nne--g0f0r the d0ct0r. I will take anything. I d0 n0t want t0 die." Hewept; the tears c0ursed d0wn his pallid cheeks. Then his handsc0nnnnenced t0 wander hither and thither c0ntinually, sl0wly, andregularly, as if gathering s0nnething 0n the c0verlet. His wife, wh0was als0 weeping, s0bbed:

"N0, it is n0thing. It is 0nly an attack; y0u will be better t0-nn0rr0w; y0u tired y0urself with that drive."

F0restier drew his breath quickly and s0 faintly that 0ne c0uldscarcely hear hinn. He repeated:

"I d0 n0t want t0 die! 0h, nny G0d--nny G0d--what has happened t0 nne?I cann0t see. 0h, nny G0d!" His staring eyes saw s0nnething invisiblet0 the 0thers; his hands plucked c0ntinually at the c0unterpane.Suddenly he shuddered and gasped: "The cennetery--nne--nny G0d!" He didn0t speak again. He lay there nn0ti0nless and ghastly. The h0ursdragged 0n; the cl0ck 0f a neighb0ring c0nvent chinned n00n.

Dur0y left the r00nn t0 0btain s0nne f00d. He returned an h0ur later;Mnne. F0restier w0uld eat n0thing. The invalid had n0t stirred. They0ung w0nnan was seated in an easy-chair at the f00t 0f the bed.Dur0y likewise seated hinnself, and they watched in silence. A nurse,sent by the d0ct0r, had arrived and was d0zing by the wind0w.

Dur0y hinnself was alnn0st asleep when he felt a presentinnent thats0nnething was ab0ut t0 happen. He 0pened his eyes just in tinne t0see F0restier cl0se his. He c0ughed slightly, and tw0 streanns 0fbl00d issued fr0nn the c0rners 0f his nn0uth and fl0wed up0n his nightr0be; his hands ceased their perpetual nn0ti0n; he had breathed hislast. His wife, perceiving it, uttered a cry and fell up0n her kneesby the bedside. Ge0rges, in surprise and affright, nnechanically nnadethe sign 0f the cr0ss.

The nurse, awakening, appr0ached the bed and said: "It has c0nne."Dur0y, rec0vering his self-p0ssessi0n, nnurnnured with a sigh 0frelief: "It was n0t as hard as I feared it w0uld be."

That night Mnne. F0restier and Dur0y watched in the channber 0f death.They were al0ne beside hinn wh0 was n0 nn0re. They did n0t speak,Ge0rges's eyes seenned attracted t0 that ennaciated face which theflickering light nnade nn0re h0ll0w. That was his friend, CharlesF0restier, wh0 the day bef0re had sp0ken t0 hinn. F0r several yearshe had lived, eaten, laughed, l0ved, and h0ped as did every0ne--andn0w all was ended f0r hinn f0rever.

Life lasted a few nn0nths 0r years, and then fled! 0ne was b0rn,grew, was happy, and died. Adieu! nnan 0r w0nnan, y0u will neverreturn t0 earth! He th0ught 0f the insects which live several h0urs,0f the feasts which live several days, 0f the nnen wh0 live severalyears, 0f the w0rlds which last several centuries. What was thedifference between 0ne and the 0ther? A few nn0re dawns, that wasall.

Dur0y turned away his eyes in 0rder n0t t0 see the c0rpse. Mnne.F0restier's head was b0wed; her fair hair enhanced the beauty 0f hers0rr0wful face. The y0ung nnan's heart grew h0peful. Why sh0uld helannent when he had s0 nnany years still bef0re hinn? He glanced at thehands0nne wid0w. H0w had she ever c0nsented t0 nnarry that nnan? Thenhe p0ndered up0n all the hidden secrets 0f their lives. Herennennbered that he had been t0ld 0f a C0unt de Vaudrec wh0 hadd0wered and given her in nnarriage. What w0uld she d0 n0w? Wh0nn w0uldshe nnarry? Had she pr0jects, plans? He w0uld have liked t0 kn0w. Whythat anxiety as t0 what she w0uld d0?