Pagina 414 di 483

After an interval I arose, and as if by instinct, crawled into

the room where the corpse of my beloved lay. There were women

weeping around; I hung over it and joined my sad tears to theirs;

all this time no distinct idea presented itself to my mind, but

my thoughts rambled to various subjects, reflecting confusedly on

my misfortunes and their cause. I was bewildered, in a cloud of

wonder and horror. The death of William, the execution of

Justine, the murder of Clerval, and lastly of my wife; even at

that moment I knew not that my only remaining friends were safe

from the malignity of the fiend; my father even now might be

writhing under his grasp, and Ernest might be dead at his feet.

This idea made me shudder and recalled me to action. I started up

and resolved to return to Geneva with all possible speed.