"Oh! he is alive," said Beltrami, guessing my thought as I shrank back from the bed; "it is a case of suspended animation." "But lasting three---four days?" "Dame, yes! It would last much longer, I have no doubt. Ten drops produce this life-in-death state which you see, fifteen drops the same thing; but the one ends in death after a certain time, the other does not." "But why did you not go to the vault and find this antidote at once?" "Well, to tell you the truth, Hugo, I thought it would be a useless errand, as I do not know where to look for it. I fancied that Madame Morone might have found another bottle of this damnable poison, but it never struck me until I heard your story that she had read the letter addressed by Morone to me, and gone to the vault for the poison." "And what are we to do now?" "Go to the vault, to be sure, and look for this antidote." "But, the vault is locked!" "True, I forgot that," said Beltrami, with a thoughtful frown, "however, I think I can procure the key." "From Madame Morone?" "Dame! No! that would put her on her guard at once. I want her to think Pallanza is still in this cataleptic state, otherwise she won't marry me, as my power over her will be gone. I'll get the key somehow; if not, one of my men knows something about picking locks, so we will take him with us." "A reputable servant, truly!" "Eh! What would you!" said Beltrami carelessly, as he led the way out of the room and locked the door. "Even lock-picking is useful on occasions--witness the present one. Well, are you ready to go to the vault with me to-night?" "At night, Beltrami?" "Most certainly. If we went in the daytime all Verona would be in commotion. No! we must go at midnight when no one is about. Have you the courage?" "I think so! but I hope Madame Morone will not be there!" "There's no fear of that, as she has no reason to pay a second visit to the remains of her husband. She has got the poison, and knows nothing about the antidote, so make yourself easy on that score. Ecco!" "What are you going to do now, Marchesa!" "See if I can obtain that key. If I fail to obtain it, I will bring Matteo with me. As for you, my friend, go and take something to eat, and meet me on the Ponte Aleardi at midnight." "I will be there, Beltrami. Good-bye for the present." "À revederci, Hugo; I am obliged for your confidence, as it has solved the difficulty of knowing what to do with Signor Cupid." We both went different ways; Beltrami to search for his key, and myself to hasten home to my hotel, and prepare myself for the fatigues of this midnight excursion, which, however much it appealed to the Marchese's sense of the romantic, was certainly not relished by me. CHAPTER XIII. "DOWN AMONG THE DEAD MEN."