He made a fresh effort; and it was evident that, in the midst of his torpor, his whole being was intent upon returning to life.
A clock struck ten.
He started and said:
"Let them carry me; let them carry me to the palace."
With the doctor's approval, Waldemar called his men and sent word to the Emperor. They laid Lupin on a stretcher and set out for the palace.
"The first floor," he muttered.
They carried him up.
"At the end of the corridor," he said. "The last room on the left."
They carried him to the last room, which was the twelfth, and gave him a chair, on which he sat down, exhausted.
The Emperor arrived: Lupin did not stir, sat looking, unconscious, with no expression in his eyes.