And, all at once, as if the abyss itself suggested to
him the frightful solution for which he had been vainly groping, in his
growing madness, for two days past, he thought that he could hear a voice
calling him from below, the voice of Blaise, which cried: "Come with the
other one! Come with the other one!"
He started violently and drew himself erect; decision had fallen on him
in a lightning flash. Insane as he was, that appeared to him to be the
one sole logical, mathematical, sensible solution, which would settle
everything. It seemed to him so simple, too, that he was astonished that
he had sought it so long. And from that moment this poor soft-hearted
weakling, whose wretched brain was unhinged, gave proof of iron will and
sovereign heroism, assisted by the clearest reasoning, the most subtle
craft.
In the first place he prepared everything, set the catch to prevent the
trap from being sent up again in his absence, and also assured himself
that the balustrade door opened and closed easily. He came and went with
a light, aerial step, as if carried off his feet, with his eyes ever on
the alert, anxious as he was to be neither seen nor heard.
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