worthy of respect. But! who is the other
victim of last night?"

"Oh! his death was frightful. Do not speak of it. I have still the
horrible scene before my eyes."

"A sudden attack of cholera?"

"If it had only been the contagion, I should not so shudder at the
remembrance."

"What then did he die of?"

"It is a string of horrors. Three days ago, they brought here a man, who
was supposed to be only attacked with cholera. You have no doubt heard
speak of this personage. He is the lion-tamer, that drew all Paris to the
Porte-Saint-Martin."

"I know the man you mean. Called Morok. He performed a kind of play with
a tame panther."

"Exactly so; I was myself present at a similar scene, which a stranger,
an Indian, in consequence of a wager, was said at the time, jumped upon
the stage and killed the panther."

"Well, this Morok, brought here as a cholera-patient, and indeed with all
the symptoms of the contagion, soon showed signs of a still more
frightful malady."

"And this was--"

"Hydrophobia."

"Did he become mad?"

"Yes; he confessed, that he had been bitten a few days before by one of
the mastiffs in his menagerie; unfortunately, we only learnt this
circumstance after the terrible attack, which cost the life of the poor
fellow we deplore."

"How did it happen, then?"

"Morok was in a room with three other patients. Suddenly seized with a
sort of furious delirium, he rose, uttering ferocious cries, and rushed
raving mad into the passage. Our poor friend made an attempt to stop him.
This kind of resistance increased the frenzy of Morok, who threw himself
on the man that crossed his path, and, tearing him with his teeth, fell
down in horrible convulsions."

"Oh! you are right. 'Twas indeed frightful. And, not withstanding every
assistance this victim of Morok's--"

"Died during the night, in dreadful agony; for the shock had been so
violent, that brain-fever almost instantly declared itself."

"And is Morok dead?"

"I do not know. He was to be taken to another hospital, after being fast
bound in the state of weakness which generally succeeds the fit. But,
till he can be removed he has been confined in a room upstairs."

"But he cannot recover."

"I should think he must be dead by this time. The doctors did not give
him twenty-four hours to live."

The persons engaged in this conversation were standing in an ante-chamber
on the ground-floor, in which usually assembled those who came to offer