"God, who art a great and just Judge, and visitest the sins of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation, I hereby swear to take my life with my own hand rather than let the curse of Thy priest gain ascendency over me. Amen."
Then he walked towards the house as if freed from an intolerable burden.
"Now the devil is exorcised!" he said as he entered the vestibule, heaving a deep sigh of relief; nevertheless, the hand that lifted the latch still trembled feverishly.
He surveyed the room with one quick shy glance.
In the rosy light of dawn he saw her crouching, dressed on her bed, her hands clasped over her knees. Her jacket was open; her hair hung about her face in tangled masses. Her dress was exactly as it had been when he left her the evening before.
She raised her head slowly, and gazed at him as if in a dream with soft melting eyes.
He shrank before that gaze.
"Haven't you been to bed?" he asked in as harsh a tone as he could command.
She continued to look at him with the same blissfully rigid expression, and said nothing.
"Didn't you hear?" he asked again imperiously.