CHAPTER XI.
FOOD AT LAST--DEATH OF JULIO.
When Julio left the cellar for the purpose of procuring bread, Geronimocast himself on his knees, full of gratitude to God, to return thanks forthe unexpected deliverance.
Julio had said "soon," but an hour passed, then another, then many more,and he came not.
A painful doubt began to take possession of Geronimo's mind. Had anaccident happened to Julio? Had he perhaps cruelly abandoned his victim?Had he set out for Germany with the certainty that hunger would kill himwhom the dagger had spared?
The unfortunate cavalier had no means of measuring the flight of time.What in the immutable darkness of his prison seemed to him a century,might in reality be only a few hours, and the promised bread would soonappear to his eyes as the star of safety--in a quarter of an hour, in aminute--that very instant.
By such reflections Geronimo sought to endure patiently the pangs ofhunger. He put his ear to the keyhole and ceased breathing that he mightcatch the slightest sound. Alas! hour after hour passed in unbrokensilence. Although Geronimo knew not whether it was day or night, hisincreasing sufferings were to him a sure indication of the passage oftime. For a while he encouraged himself by the thought that Julio wouldnot bring him the promised bread until dawn, and that he would give him atthe same time food and liberty.
This hope by degrees diminished, and at last vanished entirely. Thesuffering young man could not longer deceive either his body or his mind;it became evident to him that the hour which he had hoped would restorehim to freedom had long passed.
He had been abandoned--devoted to a cruel martyrdom, a frightful death! Hewas then to die in the midst of the torments of hunger--to die slowly inindescribable suffering, and fall into the yawning grave prepared for him!
Struck with terror by the conviction thus forced upon him, the unfortunatecavalier arose despairingly and ran panting and crying around the cellar,as though he could thus escape the death which menaced him.
The pain of his wounds was increased by this violent and feverishagitation. His breast heaved under his difficult respiration, but thegnawing hunger which agonized him made these sufferings seem light.Falling to the ground from exhaustion, he commenced, as soon as he hadgained a little strength, his struggle against the tortures of hungry. Attimes his despair was cheered by the thought that even yet Julio mightcome. But Julio was plunged by the influence of poison into a mortalsleep, and in all probability would appear before Geronimo at thejudgment-seat of God.
Hoping against hope, the young man seated himself on the ground. Theviolence of his sufferings seemed to abate and leave him at rest for a fewmoments. His thoughts wandered to all he loved upon earth, but the respitewas of short duration. Soon the agony he endured drew from him piercingcries. During his long martyrdom no torment had equalled the present. Itseemed as though he were being devoured by flames, or as if molten leadwere coursing through his veins.
He writhed in convulsions, beat his breast, and in heart-rending accentscalled upon God for help. But nothing relieved his horrible sufferings.
He filled the air with his groans and screams, he beat the door with blindfury, tore the flesh from his fingers in his useless efforts to make anopening in his prison-walls, and ran from side to side as though the pangsof hunger had driven him mad.
At last, exhausted and convinced that there was no escape, that he mustsoon enter into his last agony, he threw himself upon the ground, bowedhis head and joined his hands in prayer, begging for resignation to meetthe death which would end his cruel martyrdom. His mind now appearedclear, and he was perfectly conscious, for after a while he shed a torrentof tears. His lips moved, giving utterance to confused sounds, but bydegrees his words became more distinct, and fixing his eye in the darknesson the spot where he knew the grave had been dug, he said:
"No more hope! All is over. I must die! The grave yawns to receive me.Alas! what a place for my mortal remains! Forgotten, unknown, concealed bythe darkness of a horrible crime! Not a tear will fall upon the tomb ofthe unfortunate victim; not a cross will mark the spot where I lie; not aprayer will be whispered over my body! Death approaches. Ah! I must notthus cling to life; I will pray and lift my hands in supplication to God.He alone--"
He stopped under the influence of a sudden emotion.
"Heavens! did I not hear a noise?"
He listened breathlessly for a time to catch the indistinct sound hethought he had heard; but he was mistaken.
"Why should I hope, when hope is no longer possible? Let me rather seekstrength in the consideration of the better life which awaits me. Thedeath I endure will purify me from all my sins. If God, in Hisimpenetrable designs, has appointed this to be my earthly fate, He will,in His mercy, take into account before his judgment-seat what I haveinnocently suffered here below. Consoling hope, which, encourages me tolook with confidence into eternity!
"And yet my life was so happy! Everything in the world smiled upon me; mypath was strewn with roses; the future spread out before me like acloudless sky resplendent with stars. God had not only given me health,fortune, and peace of heart, but also the hope of uniting my fate withthat of a lovely young girl. Mary Van de Werve! the incarnation of allthat men admire and heaven loves: virtue, piety, modesty, charity, beauty,love! Alas! alas! must I leave all that? Must I say a last adieu, renouncemy hopes, and never see her again? Die and sleep forever in an unknowntomb, while she lives!"
A cry of anguish escaped him. But it was caused rather by his train ofthought than by the adieu he had just spoken, for he added, in a suppliantvoice:
"Pardon, O Lord, pardon! Thy creature clings to life; but be not angrywith the weakness of my nature. Should I die by the terrible death ofstarvation, I humbly accept Thy holy will, and I bless Thy hand whichdeals the blow! God of mercy, grant that I may find grace with Thee!"
Calmed by this invocation, he resumed, with less emotion and in a tonewhich proved that his soul had received consolation:
"And if I be permitted in my last hour to offer to Thee my supplications,I pray Thee, O God of mercy, to spare my uncle, and let not my misfortunedeprive him also of life. He was my father and benefactor; he taught me tolive in the fear of Thy holy name. By the cruel sufferings which I endure,by my terrible death, have pity on him! Let Thy angels also guard andprotect the pious and pure young girl who is before Thee as an immaculatedove! Jesus, Saviour of mankind, on the cross you prayed to your heavenlyFather for those who crucified Thee. Demand not an account of my bloodfrom my enemy. Pardon him, lead him back to the path of virtue, and afterdeath grant him eternal rest! My strength fails; the sweat of death is onmy brow. O my God! in this, my last hour, grant me the grace to die withThy love alone in my heart, and Thy holy name alone upon my lips!"
The last words of this prayer had scarcely fallen from his lips, when hecried aloud, arose trembling, and eagerly fixed his eyes upon the oppositewall, upon which a faint streak of light flickered.
"O my God! what means this?" he exclaimed. "Light? light? a voice? Is someone coming? Is there still hope? I shall not die! Cruel dream! Frightfulillusion! But no, it is indeed a light; it becomes brighter. I hear ahuman voice. Alas! this suspense is worse than death!"
Tottering from weakness, and supporting himself by the sides of the wall,he gained the door, and trembling between hope and fear, he put his eye tothe keyhole in order to discover who was approaching his person.
He saw in the distance a man with a lamp in his hand; but his gestureswere so strange, and his countenance so singular, that he was at a loss toknow whether it were a human being, or only a creation of his owndisordered brain.
Still he heard confused sounds in the passage; a voice seemed to complain,curse, and call for aid.
By degrees the mysterious apparition drew nearer, and Geronimo recognizedthe servant of Simon Turchi; but why was Julio writhing in such horribleconvulsions? Why was his face so horribly contorted? Why did he threatenand rage in such harsh accents?
A horrible c
onviction forced itself upon Geronimo's mind. Julio had soughtin drink the courage necessary to accomplish the work which fate exactedof him. He had thus drowned his senses, and had come now to slay hisvictim without mercy.
The thought for the moment roused his fears; but he remembered that he hadjust offered to God his life in expiation of his sins. He retired to theother side of the cellar, knelt by the side of the grave, and with a smileupon his lips and his eyes lifted to heaven, he calmly awaited the fatalblow.
He heard Julio trying to insert the key in the lock as if his hand wereunsteady. He noticed that there was no finger in his tone of voice; on thecontrary, the cries which escaped him were rather those of alarm anddistress; but before he had time for reflection the door opened.
Julio put down the lamp as if his strength had entirely failed him, andfell upon the ground, exclaiming in a supplicating voice:
"O signor, help, help! I am poisoned! A burning fire consumes me! Takepity on me! For the love of God, deliver me from this torture!"
"Poisoned!" exclaimed Geronimo, hastening to Julio. "What has happened toyou? The mark of death is on your face!"
"Simon Turchi gave me last night poisoned wine, in order to destroy thewitness who could prove your death by his hand. He made me pay Bufferio toassassinate you. He wishes to marry Mary Van de Werve, and he desires toremove any cause of fear that his happiness may be disturbed. Ah! thepoison consumes me!"
"Tell me, Julio, what I can do for your relief."
Saying this, he knelt by Julio, and threw open his doublet to give himair:
"Thanks, thanks, O my God! here is bread!" exclaimed Geronimo, almost wildwith joy, and snatching with feverish haste the small loaf which Julio hadconcealed, and which he had entirely forgotten since his fatal stupor.
The young man, absorbed in satisfying his devouring hunger, no longerheeded Julio's complaints, but having soon appeased its cravings, he tookhis hands, saying:
"I bless you, Julio, and may the omnipotent God reward you in heaven. Tellme what I can do to save you. Set me at liberty, and I will fly forphysician and priest. The keys--quick, the keys!"
"Alas!" said Julio, in a hopeless voice, "my cruel murderer took from methe keys of the door. We are shut up in the building. But I cannot diethus, consumed by poison, without confession, without hope of pardon formy soul! Go up-stairs, signor, call aloud, break open the door, wrest theiron bars from the windows. Collect all your strength, take pity on me andhelp me!"
Geronimo seized the keys, and, lighted by the lamp, he hastily traversedthe subterranean passage, and mounted the staircase.
The gray dawn was appearing in the east, but to the eyes of the young manso long accustomed to utter darkness it was almost as bright as noonday.
Convinced that Julio's condition demanded immediate aid, Geronimo hastilytried all the keys in the exterior door, pulled all the bolts, endeavoredto wrench the door from the hinges, and worked with so much energy that atlast he fell from weakness.
Taking a short rest, he arose, threw up the windows, shook the iron bars,ran up-stairs and called aloud for help. But all his efforts wereuseless--the pavilion was too far removed from any habitation to permithim to indulge the hope that his voice, weak as it was, could be heard.
In running through the building--almost maddened by despair--to seek anoutlet, he entered the kitchen, where he perceived a vessel full of water.The sight filled him with joy. Perhaps water, taken in large quantities,might deaden the effects of the poison and save Julio's life. At any rate,he had no other remedy, and as it was his only hope, he grasped at it asif it were an inspiration from heaven.
Filling a pitcher, he ran with it to the cellar, and radiant with joy,approached Julio, who had barely strength to ask in a feeble voice:
"Is the priest coming? Will the doctor be here? Ah! it is too late!"
"Drink," said Geronimo, holding the pitcher to his lips; "the water willcool the inflammation and refresh you."
Julio took the water.
"Thank you, signor; it is useless, the water does me no good."
"Take more, I beg you, Julio,--as much as you can."
Julio obeyed mechanically and nearly emptied the pitcher. His respirationbecame very labored, and the sweat ran in big drops from his brow.
"Do you feel better, Julio?" asked the young man.
"A little better; the heat is not so burning."
"There is still hope!" exclaimed Geronimo, joyfully. "Take courage, Julio;have confidence in the mercy of God. When all human aid fails us, then Godgives his omnipotent assistance."
"But," said Julio, "my heart beats so feebly, my limbs are benumbed.Signor, I am dying. The poison is killing me."
"Die? Julio! You have delivered me from death, and shall I be powerless tosave you? What shall I do? O my God, what can I try?"
"Think no more of it, signor," said the dying man. "I feel that there isno hope. Alas! I was partly the cause of your bitter sufferings: I pushedyou into the chair; I intended to kill you, the deliverer of my blindmother! Take pity on me! Let not your just malediction follow my poor soulinto eternity. Pardon me, signor, pardon!"
"Speak not thus, Julio. But for you, that yawning grave would now cover mycorpse. Shall I refuse pardon to you who spared my life? No; I will prayfor you, I will give alms for the repose of your soul. Have confidence inthe goodness of God."
"Confidence?" said Julio, in a dying voice. "I shudder to think of thejudgment which awaits me. In this, my death agony, I see with frightfulclearness. I dare not hope in God's mercy. I have done nothing to meritit. A dark veil is before my eyes."
The death-rattle was in his throat.
Geronimo passed his arm around his neck and raised his head, and seeingJulio's eyes fixed upon him, he said, tenderly and fervently:
"Julio, listen to me! You say you dare not hope in the mercy of God' Haveyou forgotten that Jesus Christ shed his blood to redeem fallen man? Doyou not know that there is joy before the angels when a sinner, by sincererepentance, escapes the eternal enemy of man and enters triumphant intoheaven? You repent, do you not? You sincerely repent?"
Julio bowed affirmatively.
"Ah!" exclaimed Geronimo, "if I cannot save your body from death, at leastlet me keep your soul from eternal torments. Oh! if I could thus repay thedebt of gratitude I owe you! Julio, were God to prolong your life, wouldyou renounce evil and return courageously and sincerely to the path ofduty and virtue? You say yes? You implore God's mercy, do you not? Youhave confidence in the inexhaustible treasure of his goodness? Then,Julio, raise your dying eyes to heaven, direct your last thoughts to Himwho is the source of all mercy, and with full confidence let your soulwing its flight to the supreme tribunal. Already from the highest heavenGod absolves the repentant sinner!"
A triumphant hope illumined the countenance of Julio as he endeavored toraise his eyes to heaven.
"Saved--his soul is saved!" exclaimed Geronimo, transported with a piousjoy.
A slight convulsion passed over the limbs of Julio, his muscles becameparalyzed, his head fell heavily on Geronimo's shoulder, and drawing hislast breath, he murmured, almost unintelligibly:
"Mercy! O my God!"
"He is dead!" said Geronimo. "May thy soul receive my fraternal embrace inits passage to eternity! May this mark of reconciliation weigh in thebalance of eternal justice!"
He bent over the dead; but as if contact with the corpse had deprived himof his little remaining strength, he fell as it were lifeless. Not a limbmoved, his arms dropped motionless, his eyes closed, it seemed that hissoul had also taken its flight to heaven to accompany the soul of Juliobefore God's judgment seat.