第1051页 / 共1118页

Thus nearly vanished his hopes, and with them his resolution. His

only ground of hope now was to find Lucy still under the power of

the disease; to this sad and feeble hope, he clung with all the

ardour of his nature. He fell on his knees at the last step of

the temple, and breathed forth an unconnected, but fervent

prayer; he arose, strengthened in hope; and passing the railing

pointed out by the father, entered into the quarter allotted to

the women. As he entered it, he saw on the ground one of the

little bells that the monatti carried on their feet, with its

leather straps attached to it. Thinking it might serve him as a

passport, he tied it to his foot, and then began his painful

search. Here new scenes of sorrow met his eye, similar in part to

those he had already witnessed, partly dissimilar.