“Thus the power is given—and the will is taken away!
“How is my hatred broken? dissolved and broken? like a bubble broken? My firm purpose, tempered in the fires of hell, is no more! no more! It went from me, Ambrose, when I pardoned you on the hill!”
He fell silent; but we continued to pace along in the sombre night.
“But hearken! mark me well! Ambrose, you have the keeping of my parchments, what be they?”
“The Book of Science, the Book of Poesy, the Book of Life,” answered Ambrose.
“So. Therein is my wisdom stored; therein is laid up the efficacy of my genius; therein is traced and pencilled out my orbit and circling arcs....”
He broke off; for there came a dreadful, subterraneous rumbling sound. The ground did heave beneath our feet. I was thrown staggering down.
The dread portent ceased. The earth fell quiet. But, from a point in the interior of the island, a blast of flame belched forth into the night![F]
CHAPTER XXXII.
HELL SHORE.
But the dread geyser gave no light, and the darkness about me was black. I could see neither the Doctor nor Ambrose; and, when I called to them, there came no answer.