She opened the shutters,
and then both she and Felix were dismayed to see how ill and spent
her patient looked; for she had slept soundly through his night of
silent anguish and remorse--misery that, as Felix saw by his face,
was pressing on him still with intolerable weight.
By the time the woman had finished Mr. Audley came in, and seeing at
once that Felix's absence was accounted for by Fernando's appearance,
he stepped up at once to the bed, full of solicitude. Felix hardly
knew whether to reply or escape; but Fernando's heart was too full
for his words not to come at once.
'No, I am not worse, but I see it all now.--Tell him, Felix; I cannot
say it again.'
'Fernando thinks--' Felix found he could hardly speak the words
either--'Fernando is afraid that it was an accident of his own--'
'Don't say an accident. It was passion and spite,' broke in Fernando.
'That caused the fire at the Fortinbras Arms,' Felix was obliged to
finish.
'Not on purpose!' exclaimed Mr. Audley.
'Almost as much as if it had been,' said Fernando. 'I smoked to spite
the landlord for interfering, and threw away the end too angry to
heed where. There!' he added grimly; 'Felix won't tell me how many I
murdered besides my poor old black.
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