“But, my father, my father does not hear me,” said Erebus. “I will die without his saying to me, ‘My son!’” cried the unhappy youth, in a failing voice, and then with a sadden movement he sat up, threw his arms around the neck of Pierre des Anbiez, and letting his heavy head fall on the paternal bosom, he cried, “My father, my father! Oh, hear me!” This despairing, expiring cry, in which Erebes seemed to have concentrated all that remained of his strength, at last reached the depth of the heart of Pierre, des Anbiez. The commander slowly raised his head, looked around him, then fixed his eyes on Erebus, who still hung around his neck. Then, pressing his son’s head in his two hands, he kissed his forehead reverently and tenderly. Placing his son’s head softly on the pillow, he said, in a low voice, with a strange smile, and an accent full of kindness: “My child, you have called me, I heard your voice in the midst of darkness. I have come; now I return to it Farewell, sleep--sleep for ever, my child.” And he spread a cloth on the face of Erebus as is done for the dead. “My brother!” cried Father Elzear, quickly removing the cloth and looking at the commander in astonishment. The latter did not seem to hear him; he fell back into a sort of lethargy from which he seemed unable to recover. Erebus grew weaker and weaker, and said to Raimond V.: “One last favour before I die.” “Speak, speak, my child, I grant it already.” “I would like to see your daughter once more, she who gave me a Christian name. She too, alas! must forgive me.” “Reine, your cousin, your godmother? I consent to it with all my heart Elzear, my brother, will you go and tell her?” “Your moments are numbered, you must think on God, my son,” said Father Elzear to Erebus. “For pity’s sake, let me see her, or I shall die in despair,” said Erebus in such a heart-broken voice that Father Elzear went in search of Reine. Raimond V. took both hands of his nephew in his own. Already they were cold. “She does not come,” said Erebus, “and yet I must--” His voice grew weaker, he could not continue. Reine entered, accompanied by Father Elzear. Erebus raised himself on his elbow; with his right hand he had the strength to break a little chain of gold he wore around his neck. He handed it to Reine, showing her, with a faint smile, the little enamelled dove that he had fastened to it, formerly taken from Reine in the rocks of Ollioules, and said to her: “I return it to you. Will you forgive me?” “I will always wear this chain in memory of the day you saved the life of my father,” replied Reine, full of emotion. “You will wear it always?” said Erebus. “Always!” replied Reine, bursting into tears. “Ah, now I can die!” said Erebus. A last ray seemed to illumine his face, as death slowly approached. “Brother,” said Father Elzear, in an austere voice, as he rose, “this child is about to die.”