Craft drank the liquor without saying a word; then, raising himself, he looked Cobb in the eyes, and asked:
“Have I been asleep, Cobb, or what is the matter? I feel as if I had just awakened from a most delicious slumber, a most refreshing one, and yet I had no dreams, nor does it seem that I am fatigued in the least.”
At this moment Hathaway opened his eyes, and also in a dazed manner viewed his surroundings.
“Why, bless me, I have been asleep!” he exclaimed.
Cobb quickly filled a second glass of wine and gave it to him, saying: “Drink that; you will feel all right in a jiffy.”
Hathaway emptied the glass, and then, looking at Craft, said:
“I know now; it was the bottle, or rather the contents, that has caused us both to fall asleep.”
“Yes,” said Cobb, “it was the contents of that bottle that has caused you both to enter the first stages of death.”
“How long has this sleep continued?” asked Craft.