with both
hands he held him by the shoulders, and gazed with terrific meaning
into his fast-paling countenance. Ivan's lips turned blue; his eyes
appeared to start from their sockets; his throat rattled. The spell
that held me silent was broken; a flash of light, a flood of memory
swept over my intelligence. I knew that Heliobas was exciting the whole
battery of his inner electric force, and that thus employed for the
purposes of vengeance, it must infallibly cause death. I found my
speech at last.

"Heliobas!" I cried "Remember, remember Azul! When Death lies like a
gift in your hand, withhold it. Withhold it, Heliobas; and give Life
instead!"

He started at the sound of my voice, and looked up. A strong shudder
shook his frame. Very slowly, very reluctantly, he relaxed his
position; he rose from his kneeling posture on the Prince's breast--he
left him and stood upright. Ivan at the same moment heaved a deep sigh,
and closed his eyes, apparently insensible.

Gradually one by one the hard lines faded out of the face of Heliobas,
and his old expression of soft and grave beneficence came back to it as
graciously as sunlight after rain. He turned to me, and bent his head
in a sort of reverential salutation.

"I thank and bless you," he said; "you reminded me in time! Another
moment and it would have been too late. You have saved me."

"Give him his life," I said, pointing to Ivan.

"He has it," returned Heliobas; "I have not taken it from him, thank
God! He provoked me; I regret it. I should have been more patient with
him. He will revive immediately. I leave him to your care. In dealing
with him, I ought to have remembered that human passion like his,
unguided by spiritual knowledge, was to be met with pity and
forbearance. As it is, however, he is safe. For me, I will go and pray
for Zara's pardon, and that of my wronged Azul."

As he uttered the last words, he started, looked up, and smiled.

"My beautiful one! Thou HAST pardoned me? Thou wilt love me still? Thou
art with me, Azul, my beloved? I have not lost thee, oh my best and
dearest! Wilt thou lead me? Whither? Nay--no matter whither--I come!"

And as one walking in sleep, he went out of the room, and I heard his
footsteps echoing in the distance on the way to the chapel.

Left alone with the Prince, I snatched a glass of cold water from the
table, and sprinkled some of it on his forehead and hands. This was
quite sufficient to revive him; and he drew