Pagina 69 de 483

I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I

inhabited, where I remained during the rest of the night, walking

up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively,

catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the

approach of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably

given life.

Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A

mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that

wretch. I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then,

but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of

motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have

conceived.