the wound at once. I could now
doubt no longer: Serapion was right. Yet, in spite of this
certainty, I could not help loving Clarimonde, and I would
willingly have given her all the blood whereof she had need,
to sustain her artificial life. Besides, I had not much to
fear; the woman was my warrant against the vampire; and what
I had heard and seen completely reassured me. I had then
well-nourished veins, which were not to be soon drawn dry,
nor had I reason to grudge and count their drops. I would
have pierced my arm myself and bid her drink. I was careful
to make not the slightest allusion to the narcotic she had
given me, or to the scene that followed, and we lived in
unbroken harmony. But my priestly scruples tormented me more
than ever, and I knew not what new penance to invent to
blunt my passion and mortify my flesh. Though my visions
were wholly involuntary and my will had nothing to do with
them, I shrank from touching the host with hands thus
sullied and spirit defiled by debauchery, whether in act or
in dream. To avoid falling into these harassing
hallucinations, I tried to prevent myself sleeping; I held
my eyelids open, and remained in a standing posture,
striving with all my force against sleep. But soon the waves
of slumber drowned my eyes, and seeing that the struggle was
hopeless, I let my hands drop in weariness, and was once
more carried to the shores of delusion.... Serapion exhorted
me most fervently, and never ceased reproaching me with my
weakness and my lack of zeal. One day, when I had been more
agitated than usual, he said to me, "There is only one way
to relieve you from this haunting plague, and, though it be
extreme, we must try it. Great evils need heroic remedies. I
know where Clarimonde was buried; we must disinter her, and
you shall see the real state of your lady-love. You will
hardly be tempted to risk your soul for a vile body, the
prey of worms and ready to turn to dust. That, if anything,
will restore you to yourself." For my part, I was so weary
of this double life that I closed with his offer. I longed
to know once for all, which--priest or gallant--was the
dupe of a delusion, and I was resolved to sacrifice one of
my two lives for the good of the other--yea, if it were
necessary, to sac