"Is the priest coming? Will the doctor be here? Ah! it is too late!"

"Drink," said Geronimo, holding the pitcher to his lips; "the water will
cool the inflammation and refresh you."

Julio took the water.

"Thank you, signor; it is useless, the water does me no good."

"Take more, I beg you, Julio,--as much as you can."

Julio obeyed mechanically and nearly emptied the pitcher. His respiration
became very labored, and the sweat ran in big drops from his brow.

"Do you feel better, Julio?" asked the young man.

"A little better; the heat is not so burning."

"There is still hope!" exclaimed Geronimo, joyfully. "Take courage, Julio;
have confidence in the mercy of God. When all human aid fails us, then God
gives his omnipotent assistance."

"But," said Julio, "my heart beats so feebly, my limbs are benumbed.
Signor, I am dying. The poison is killing me."

"Die? Julio! You have delivered me from death, and shall I be powerless to
save you? What shall I do? O my God, what can I try?"

"Think no more of it, signor," said the dying man. "I feel that there is
no hope. Alas! I was partly the cause of your bitter sufferings: I pushed
you into the chair; I intended to kill you, the deliverer of my blind
mother! Take pity on me! Let not your just malediction follow my poor soul
into eternity. Pardon me, signor, pardon!"

"Speak not thus, Julio. But for you, that yawning grave would now cover my
corpse. Shall I refuse pardon to you who spared my life? No; I will pray
for you, I will give alms for the repose of your soul. Have confidence in
the goodness of God."

"Confidence?" said Julio, in a dying voice. "I shudder to think of the
judgment which awaits me. In this, my death agony, I see with frightful
clearness. I dare not hope in God's mercy. I have done nothing to merit
it. A dark veil is before my eyes."

The death-rattle was in his throat.

Geronimo passed his arm around his neck and raised his head, and seeing
Julio's eyes fixed upon him, he said, tenderly and fervently:

"Julio, listen to me! You say you dare not hope in the mercy of God' Have
you forgotten that Jesus Christ shed his blood to redeem fallen man? Do
you not know that there is joy before the angels when a sinner, by sincere
repentance, escapes the eternal enemy of man and enters triumphant into
heaven? You repent, do you not? You sincerely repent?"

Julio bowed affirmatively.

"Ah!" exclaimed Geronimo, "if I cannot save your body from dea