The horrible fixity of his aspect at that moment, so
terrified Varillo that he gave a loud cry, and almost before he knew
he had uttered it, another monk entered the cell. Varillo gazed at
him affrightedly, and pointed to Ambrosio. The monk said nothing,
but merely took the rigid figure by its arm and shook it violently.
Then, as suddenly as he had lost speech and motion, Ambrosio
recovered both, and went on talking evenly, taking up the sentence
he had broken off--"If we did not choose to be as devils, we might
be as gods!" Then looking around him with a smile, he added, "Now
you are here, Filippo, you will explain!"
The monk addressed as Filippo remained silent, still holding him by
the arm, and presently quietly guiding him, led him out of the cell.
When the two brethren had disappeared, Varillo fell back on his
pillows exhausted.
"What am I to do now?" he thought. "I must have been here many
days!--all Rome must know of Angela's death--all Rome must wonder at
my absence--all Rome perhaps suspects me of being her murderer! And
yet--this illness may be turned to some account. I can say that it
was caused by grief at hearing the sudden news of her death--that I
was stricken down by my despair--but then--I must not forget--I was
to have been in Naples.
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