“Because the master of the casket never lets it go from him.”
“This is the man more powerful than the King?”
“Nobody can tell what he is; eternity alone knows how long he has lived. None but the God above can see the deeds he commits.”
“But his name, his name?’
“He has changed it to my knowledge a dozen times—I knew him as Acharat.”
“And he lives—— ”
“Saint—— ”
Suddenly Lorenza started, shuddered, let the casket and the keys fall from her hands. She made an effort to speak, but her mouth only was contorted in a painful convulsion; she clapped her hands to her throat as if the words about to issue were stopped and choked her. Then, lifting her arms to heaven, trembling and unable to articulate a word, she fell full length on the carpet.
“Poor dear!” muttered Sartines: “but what the devil is the matter with her? she is really very pretty. There is some jealousy in this talk of revenge.”
He rang for the servants while he lifted up the Italian, who seemed with her astonished eyes and motionless lips, to be dead and far detached from this world.