Strange Story, a — Volume 04 by Baron Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton
page 44 of 71 (61%)
page 44 of 71 (61%)
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vainly struggles to quell. But darker its doom if longer retained to
earth, yoked to the mind that corrupts it, and enslaved to the senses which thou bidst me restore to their tyrannous forces." And Grayle bowed his head and covered his face with his hands in silence and in trembling. Then Sir Philip, seized with compassion, pleaded for him. "At least, could not the soul have longer time on earth for repentance?" And while Sir Philip was so pleading, Grayle fell prostrate in a swoon like that of death. When he recovered, his head was leaning on Haroun's knee, and his opening eyes fixed on the glittering phial which Haroun held, and from which his lips had been moistened. "Wondrous!" he murmured: "how I feel life flowing back to me. And that, then, is the elixir! it is no fable!" His hands stretched greedily as to seize the phial, and he cried imploringly, "More, more!" Haroun replaced the vessel in the folds of his robe, and answered,-- "I will not renew thy youth, but I will release thee from bodily suffering: I will leave the mind and the soul free from the pangs of the flesh, to reconcile, if yet possible, their long war. My skill may afford thee months yet for repentance; Seek, in that interval, to atone for the evil of sixty years; apply thy wealth where it may most compensate for injury done, most relieve the indigent, and most aid the virtuous. Listen to thy remorse; humble thyself in prayer." Grayle departed, sighing heavily and muttering to himself. The next day |
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