Page:The Writings of Prosper Merimee-Volume 3.djvu/174

152 152 THE ETRUSCAN VASE

and as soon as the victim's wounds begin to heal, the devil is waiting to reopen them."

Saint- Clair thought he heard a voice murmur in his ears —

" The peculiar honour Of being the successor. . . ."

He sat up on the couch and threw a savage glance round him. How glad he would have been to find someone in his room! He would have torn him limb from limb without any hesi- tation.

The clock struck eight. At eight-thirty the Countess expected him. Should he disappoint her? Why, indeed, should he ever see Mas- signy's mistress again? He lay down again on the couch and shut his eyes. " I will try to sleep," he said. He lay still for half a minute, then he leapt to his feet and ran to the clock to see how the time was going. " How I wish it were half -past eight! " he thought. " It would be too late then for me to start." If only he were taken ill. He had not the courage to stop at home unless he had an excuse. He walked up and down his room, then he sat down and took a book, but he could not read a syllable. He sat down in front of his piano, but had not enough energy to open it. He whistled ; then he looked