Involuntarily his eyes fell upon the sentence in the middle of which he had broken off.

He read: "Voltaire will doubtless prove immortal.

But this immortality will have been purchased at the price of his immortal part.

Wit has consumed his heart just as doubt has consumed his soul, and therefore....." At this moment the morning sun flooded the chamber with red light, so that the page in his hand glowed.

As if vanquished, he laid it on the table beside the others.