Pagina 1018 di 1118

The street was deserted before him; but behind him the terrible

cry still resounded, "Seize him! stop him! a poisoner!" It gained

on him, steps were close at his heels. His anger became rage; his

agony, despair; drawing his knife from his pocket, and

brandishing it in the air, he turned, crying aloud, "Let him who

dares come here, the rascal, and I will poison him indeed with

this."

But he saw, with astonishment and pleasure, that his persecutors

had already stopped, as if some obstacle opposed their path; and

were making frantic gestures to persons beyond him. Turning

again, he beheld a car approaching, and even a file of cars with

their usual accompaniments. Beyond them was another little band

of people prepared to seize the poisoner, but prevented by the

same obstacle. Seeing himself thus between two fires, it occurred

to Renzo, that that which was an object of terror to these

people, might be to him a source of safety. Reflecting that this

was not a moment for fastidious scruples, he advanced towards the

cars, passed the first, and perceiving in the second a space

large enough to receive him, threw himself into it.