ng a few steps, told him
that these caresses were no longer seasonable, for he only came to keep
his word with him; that he had been killed the day before on such an
occasion; that all that was said of the other world was certainly true;
that he must think of leading a different life; and that he had no time
to lose, as he would be killed the first action he was engaged in.

It is impossible to express the surprise of the Marquis de Precy at this
discourse; as he could not believe what he heard, he made several
efforts to embrace his friend, whom he thought desirous of deceiving
him, but he embraced only air; and Rambouillet, seeing that he was
incredulous, showed the wound he had received, which was in the side,
whence the blood still appeared to flow. After that the phantom
disappeared, and left de Precy in a state of alarm more easy to
comprehend than describe; he called at the same time his _valet de
chambre_, and awakened all the family with his cries. Several persons
ran to his room, and he related to them what he had just seen. Everyone
attributed this vision to the violence of the fever, which might have
deranged his imagination; they begged of him to go to bed again,
assuring him that he must have dreamt what he told them.

The Marquis, in despair, on seeing that they took him for a visionary,
related all the circumstances I have just recounted; but it was in vain
for him to protest that he had seen and heard his friend, being
wideawake; they persisted in the same idea until the arrival of the post
from Flanders, which brought the news of the death of the Marquis de
Rambouillet.

This first circumstance being found true, and in the same manner as de
Precy had said, those to whom he had related the adventure began to
think that there might be something in it, because Rambouillet having
been killed precisely on the eve of the day he had said it, it was
impossible de Precy should have known of it in a natural way. This event
having spread in Paris, they thought it was the effect of a disturbed
imagination, or a made-up story; and whatever might be said by the
persons who examined the thing seriously, there remained in people's
minds a suspicion, which time alone could disperse: this depended upon
what might happen to Marquis de Precy, who was threatened that he should
be slain in the first engagement; thus everyone regarded his fate as the
_denouement_ of the piece; but he soon confirmed everything they had
dou