“It is incredible, Sir, how the senses and the mind can operate thus, during the apparent suspension of both; how sound can affect organs that seem to be shut, and objects affect the sight, while its sense appears to be closed,--can impress on its dreaming consciousness, images more horribly vivid than even reality ever presented. I awoke with the idea that flames were raging in contact with my eye-balls, and I saw only a pale light, held by a paler hand--close to my eyes indeed, but withdrawn the moment I awoke. The person who held it shrouded it for a moment, and then advanced and flashed its full light on me, and along with it--the person of my companion. The associations of our last meeting rushed on me. I started up, and said, “Are we free, then?”--“Hush,--one of us is free; but you must not speak so loud.”--“Well, I have heard that before, but I cannot comprehend the necessity of this whispering secrecy. If I am free, tell me so, and tell me whether Juan has survived that last horrible moment,--my intellect is but just respiring. Tell me how Juan fares.”--“Oh, sumptuously. No prince in all the land reposes under a more gorgeous canopy,--marble pillars, waving banners, and nodding plumes. He had music too, but he did not seem to heed it. He lay stretched on velvet and gold, but he appeared insensible of all these luxuries. There was a curl on his cold white lip, too, that seemed to breathe ineffable scorn on all that was going on,--but he was proud enough even in his life-time.”--“His life-time!” I shrieked; “then he _is_ dead?”--“Can you doubt that, when you know who struck the blow? None of my victims ever gave me the trouble of a second.”--“You,--you?” I swam for some moments in a sea of flames and blood. My frenzy returned, and I remember only uttering curses that would have exhausted divine vengeance in all its plenitude to fulfil. I might have continued to rave till my reason was totally lost, but I was silenced and stunned by his laugh bursting out amid my curses, and overwhelming them.