Page:The Song of the Sirens.djvu/334

 leech. You shall, if I give the word. You are a murderer. You killed Vincenzo, you have killed me. I am a dying man. I shall not live to accomplish what I most desire. But I should like to die knowing that what I most desire will be brought to pass after I am dead. If you will swear to carry out my instructions you shall not hang to-day. You shall have a respite until such time as you hand Vola over to your successor. You shall have a chance, a small chance, one chance in a million, but still a chance, of living after you hand over Vola to your successor. Meantime, be it days or years, you will be Bauro Disvola, living and lord of Vola. Will you swear to carry out my instructions?'

"I looked round the room, I looked out of the open door in the wall, down at the valley of the Latte, up at the blue sky.

"'I will swear,' I said, 'and I will carry out your instructions.'

"Then, grunting and wheezing, he gave me his instructions, his tortured head on one side, his wry face leering at me.

"I was dumbfounded at his instructions as you will be astounded when they are carried out. I swore to carry them out.

"'Yea,' said Romualdo. 'You swear and you shall swear a very different oath, a very different oath.'