astonished him. Caderousse, meanwhile, continued to pace the room
in gloomy silence, sedulously avoiding the sight of his guest; but
as soon as the stranger had completed his repast, the agitated
inn-keeper went eagerly to the door and opened it. `I believe the
storm is over,' said he. But as if to contradict his statement, at
that instant a violent clap of thunder seemed to shake the house to
its very foundation, while a sudden gust of wind, mingled with
rain, extinguished the lamp he held in his hand. Trembling and
awe-struck, Caderousse hastily shut the door and returned to his
guest, while La Carconte lighted a candle by the smouldering ashes
that glimmered on the hearth. `You must be tired,' said she to the
jeweller; `I have spread a pair of white sheets on your bed; go up
when you are ready, and sleep well.'
"Joannes stayed for a while to see whether the storm seemed to
abate in its fury, but a brief space of time sufficed to assure him
that, instead of diminishing, the violence of the rain and thunder
momentarily increased; resigning himself, therefore, to what seemed
inevitable, he bade his host good-night, and mounted the stairs. He
passed over my head and I heard the flooring creak beneath his
footsteps. The quick, eager glance of La Carconte followed him as
he ascended, while Caderousse, on the contrary, turned his back,
and seemed most anxiously to avoid even glancing at him.
"All these circumstances did not strike me as painfully at the
time as they have since done; in fact, all that had happened (with
the exception of the story of the diamond, which certainly did wear
an air of improbability), appeared natural enough, and called for
neither apprehension nor mistrust; but, worn out as I was with
fatigue, and fully purposing to proceed onwards directly the
tempest abated, I determined to obtain a few hours' sleep. Overhead
I could accurately distinguish every movement of the jeweller, who,
after making the best arrangements in his power for passing aafter making the best arrangements in his power for passing a
comfortable night, threw himself on his bed, and I could hear it
creak and groan beneath his weight. Insensibly my eyelids grew
heavy, deep sleep stole over me, and having no suspicion of
anything wrong, I sought not to shake it off. I looked into the
kitchen once more and saw Caderousse sitting by the side of a long
table upon one of the low wooden stools which in country places are
frequently used instead of chairs; his back was turned towards me,
so that I could not see the expression of his countenance — neither
should I have been able to do so had he been placed differently, as
his head was buried between his two hands. La Carconte continued to
gaze on him for some time, then shrugging her shoulders, she took
her seat immediately opposite to him. At this moment the expiring
embers threw up a fresh flame from the kindling of a piece of wood
that lay near, and a bright light flashed over the room. La
Carconte still kept her eyes fixed on her husband, but as he made
no sign of changing his position, she extended her hard, bony hand,
and touched him on the forehead.
"Caderousse shuddered. The woman's lips seemed to move, as
though she were talking; but because she merely spoke in an
undertone, or my senses were dulled by sleep, I did not catch a
word she uttered. Confused sights and sounds seemed to float before
me, and gradually I fell into a deep, heavy slumber. How long I had
been in this unconscious state I know not, when I was suddenly
aroused by the report of a pistol, followed by a fearful cry. Weak
and tottering footsteps resounded across the chamber above me, and
the next instant a dull, heavy weight seemed to fall powerless on
the staircase. I had not yet fully recovered consciousness, when
again I heard groans, mingled with half-stifled cries, as if from
persons engaged in a deadly struggle. A cry more prolonged than the
others and ending in a series of groans effectually roused me fromothers and ending in a series of groans effectually roused me from
my drowsy lethargy. Hastily raising myself on one arm, I looked
around, but all was dark; and it seemed to me as if the rain must
have penetrated through the flooring of the room above, for some
kind of moisture appeared to fall, drop by drop, upon my forehead,
and when I passed my hand across my brow, I felt that it was wet
and clammy.
"To the fearful noises that had awakened me had succeeded the
most perfect silence — unbroken, save by the footsteps of a man
walking about in the chamber above. The staircase creaked, he
descended into the room below, approached the fire and lit a
candle. The man was Caderousse — he was pale and his shirt was all
blood. Having obtained the light, he hurried up-stairs again, and
once more I heard his rapid and uneasy footsteps. A moment later he
came down again, holding in his hand the small shagreen case, which
he opened, to assure himself it contained the diamond, — seemed to
hesitate as to which pocket he should put it in, then, as if
dissatisfied with the security of either pocket, he deposited it in
his red handkerchief, which he carefully rolled round his head.
After this he took from his cupboard the bank-notes and gold he had
put there, thrust the one into the pocket of his trousers, and the
other into that of his waistcoat, hastily tied up a small bundle of
linen, and rushing towards the door, disappeared in the darkness of
the night.
"Then all became clear and manifest to me, and I reproached
myself with what had happened, as though I myself had done the
guilty deed. I fancied that I still heard faint moans, and
imagining that the unfortunate jeweller might not be quite dead, I
determined to go to his relief, by way of atoning in some slight
degree, not for the crime I had committed, but for that which I had
not endeavored to prevent. For this purpose I applied all the
strength I possessed to force an entrance from the cramped spot in
which I lay to the adjoining room. The poorly fastened boards which