His eyes
blazed; his lips writhed into something like a deadly grin; I felt that
I had to contend rather with a wild animal than a man. The grave yawned
in the moonlight at our very feet, and Mortimer closed in, with fury,
endeavoring to force me to its brink, and hurl me into it.
"Ten minutes afterward the combat was over; and it was Mortimer who
occupied the grave.
"He had given ground an instant, to breathe; had returned to the attack
more furiously than before; a tremendous blow of his weapon snapped my
own, eighteen inches from the hilt; but this had probably saved my life
instead of destroying it, as Mortimer, from his fierce exclamation as
the blade broke, evidently expected.
"Before he could take advantage of his success, I sprang at his throat,
grasped his sword-arm with my left hand, and, shortening my stump of a
weapon, drove the point through his breast.
"He uttered a cry, staggered, and threw up his hands; I released my
clutch on his arm; and he fell heavily backward into the grave.
"'Now to end all,' I said, and I set out rapidly for Fonthill."
XXV.
GOING TO REJOIN MORTIMER.
"I had not gone a hundred yards, when I heard the sound of wheels
approaching.
"I had said to myself, 'I am going back to madam; she will hear my
footsteps upon the staircase; will open the door; will rush forward to
embrace me, under the impression that I am her dear Mortimer, returning
triumphant from the field of battle; and then a grand tableau!' Things
were destined to turn out differently, as you will see in an instant.
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