His past life rose
before him, for the first time, like a foul vision, like a nightmare of
horror, impurity, and crime. He staggered up the room, groping his way
along the wall, as if the darkness of midnight had closed round his
eyes, and crouched down by the open window. Beneath him rose the evil
and ominous voices from the street; around him spread the pitiless array
of his masters; before him appeared the denouncing vision of the corpse.
He would have remained but a short time unmolested in his place of
refuge, but for an event which now diverted from him the attention of
Vetranio and his guests. Drinking furiously to drown all recollection
of the catastrophe they had just witnessed, three of the revellers had
already suffered the worst consequences of an excess, which their
weakened frames were ill-fitted to bear. One after another, at short
intervals, they fell back senseless on their couches; and one after
another, as they succumbed, the three lamps burning nearest to them were
extinguished.
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