Page:Tales of humour and romance translated by Holcroft.djvu/327

 became softer and softer, until at length its whispers lost themselves in long tremulous chords. Still more powerfully agitated than ever by the occurrences of this evening, Sellner tottered back to his room. His faithful servant was terrified at his appearance, and went in spite of his master's prohibition, in search of the physician who was also the old friend of Sellner. The physician found him under a very severe attack of fever, accompanied with the same kind of symptoms that had attended Josephina's illness, but much worse in degree. The fever increased considerably throughout the night, during which he continually raved of Josephina and the harp. In the morning he became quieter, because the struggle was over, and he felt more and more plainly that his dissolution was at hand, though the physician would not allow it. The patient then related what had happened to him upon the two evenings, and all the cold reasoning of his sceptical friend could not draw him from his opinion. As the evening approached, he became still weaker, and begged at last with a trembling voice, that he might be carried into Josephina's room. It was done. In deep distress he looked around, saluted each sweet recollection with a silent tear, and spoke with undoubting firmness of the ninth hour as the time of his death. The decisive moment approached, he ordered all to retire after he had taken farewell of them, except the physician who