I believe--oh no! no! I'm sure--he was
repenting; I'm sure he was going to put the book back; but just
at that moment the stranger moved, and raised one of his arms, as
if he was waking up. Then the temptation of the devil grew too
strong for your father--I saw him lift the hand with the knife in
it--but saw nothing more. I couldn't look in at the window--I
couldn't move away--I couldn't cry out; I stood with my back
turned toward the house, shivering all over, though it was a warm
summer-time, and hearing no cries, no noises at all, from the
room behind me. I was too frightened to know how long it was
before the opening of the cottage door made me turn round; but
when I did, I saw your father standing before me in the yellow
moonlight, carrying in his arms the bleeding body of the poor lad
who had shared his food with us and slept on our hearth. Hush!
hush! Don't groan and sob in that way! Stifle it with the
bedclothes. Hush! you'll wake them in the next room!"
"Gabriel--Gabriel!" exclaimed a voice from behind the partition.
"What has happened? Gabriel! let me come out and be with you!"
"No! no!" cried the old man, collecting the last remains of his
strength in the attempt to speak above the wind, which was just
then howling at the loudest; "stay where you are--don't speak,
don't come out--I command you! Gabriel" (his voice dropped to a
faint whisper), "raise me up in bed--you must hear the whole of
it now; raise me; I'm choking so that I can hardly speak.
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