"Bulwer_Lytton_the_Incantation" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bulwer-Lytton Edward George)

The Incantation

by Bulwer-Lytton

I


"I believe that for at least twelve hours there will be no change
in her state. I believe also that if she recover from it, calm and
refreshed, as from a sleep, the danger of death will have passed
away."

"And for twelve hours my presence would be hurtful?"

"Rather say fatal, if my diagnosis be right."

I wrung my friend's hand, and we parted.

Oh, to lose her now; now that her love and her reason had both
returned, each more vivid than before! Futile, indeed, might be
Margrave's boasted secret; but at least in that secret was hope.
In recognized science I saw only despair.

And at that thought all dread of this mysterious visitor vanished--
all anxiety to question more of his attributes or his history. His
life itself became to me dear and precious. What if it should fail
me in the steps of the process, whatever that was, by which the
life of my Lilian might be saved!

The shades of evening were now closing in. I remembered that I had
left Margrave without even food for many hours. I stole round to
the back of the house, filled a basket with elements more generous
than those of the former day; extracted fresh drugs from my stores,
and, thus laden, hurried back to the hut. I found Margrave in the
room below, seated on his mysterious coffer, leaning his face on
his hand. When I entered, he looked up, and said:

"You have neglected me. My strength is waning. Give me more of
the cordial, for we have work before us tonight, and I need
support."

He took for granted my assent to his wild experiment; and he was
right.

I administered the cordial. I placed food before him, and this
time he did not eat with repugnance. I poured out wine, and he
drank it sparingly, but with ready compliance, saying, "In perfect
health, I looked upon wine as poison; now it is like a foretaste of
the glorious elixir."