The Amulet

"To-morrow at two o'clock," he continued, "the officers of justice will

make a domiciliary visit here, but the bailiff will permit no search which

intimates a suspicion. Since you have filled the cellar with fire-wood and

empty casks, the bailiff will be satisfied that all is right. Perhaps,

Julio, I may be able to recall you in two or three months."

Julio's head had fallen upon the table, but from time to time he started

and muttered some indistinct words, showing that he was not in a deep

sleep. Without once removing his eye from him, Simon continued to speak,

although he was convinced that Julio no longer heard his words.

Suddenly Julio groaned. His head and limbs fell as though he had been

struck by death; but the heaving of the chest and the deep scarlet of the

cheeks proved that he was in a heavy sleep.

Simon quietly contemplated him for a while longer with a smile of

satisfaction. Then he arose, approached his servant, shook him violently,

and cried out: "Julio, Julio, wake up!"

Julio did not stir.

"It succeeds according to my wishes," he said. "The poison is doing its

work. He is deaf and insensible; he reposes in an eternal sleep. Life will

be extinguished by degrees until sleep makes way for death. But I must not

tarry. I must act quickly and forget nothing. And first the money!"

He searched Julio's pocket, and found in it one hundred and twenty crowns.

After counting them on the table, he exclaimed: "Eighty crowns spent already! It is impossible. He has either lost them at

the gaming-table, or been robbed while he was sleeping in the tavern."

Still doubtful, he examined his garments, and found in a purse under his

girdle the twenty crowns which he had destined for his mother.

"Ah, ah!" said Simon, laughing; "I had not all; I hear the sound of gold."

He put the twenty crowns with the rest of the money, and having satisfied

himself that no more remained on the person of Julio, he was about to

transfer the crowns to his pocket, when a sudden idea occurred to his

mind.

"If I leave all this money on his person, they might think he had been

paid to commit the deed; if I leave nothing, there will be no reason to

conclude that he killed the Signor Geronimo to rob him. I wonder how much

money Geronimo generally carried about him. I should suppose five or six

crowns, or perhaps ten. I will leave six crowns and all the small change.

And the keys? He must keep them, or, of course, he could not have entered

without my knowledge. But should he be roused to consciousness by the

death-agony, he might have sufficient strength to get out. I will leave

him all the keys but that of the outer building. Iron bars render the

place secure; he could not even enter the garden. Now I will put the phial

in his doublet--no, in the pocket of his girdle; it will be as easily

found. I will remove the bottles and everything which could indicate the

presence of two persons."