Scarcely daring to breathe, Ferdinand waited near a quarter of an hour in all the agonies of suspense and terror.
Rhodophil at length appeared:—"He sleeps," said he, "every thing depends on rest, we must not disturb him, wait a little." Ferdinand bowed his head, he could not trust to his voice, his heart beat with increasing violence. Near half an hour elapsed, when his attention was suddenly roused by two or three deep groans. He started, and flew to the door; a short gallery communicated to the bed chamber of the Count, there he listened, a kind of bustle seemed to be in the room, but the groans were not repeated; his hand was on the lock, hardly sensible whether he intended to open it or not, when it was suddenly opened on the other side. The Count's valet appeared: "Be so good to return!" said he, "all is over, my master is no more!"
Ferdinand tottered back into the other room, and fell lifeless on the floor, where his brother found him on his return to the library, at which period this history began.
