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The Reign of Greed by José Rizal
page 276 of 449 (61%)
demanded in a terrible voice.

"This afternoon, at six. By now she must be--"

"It's a lie!" roared Simoun, pale and beside himself. "It's
false! Maria Clara lives, Maria Clara must live! It's a cowardly
excuse! She's not dead, and this night I'll free her or tomorrow
you die!"

Basilio shrugged his shoulders. "Several days ago she was taken ill
and I went to the nunnery for news of her. Look, here is Padre Salvi's
letter, brought by Padre Irene. Capitan Tiago wept all the evening,
kissing his daughter's picture and begging her forgiveness, until at
last he smoked an enormous quantity of opium. This evening her knell
was tolled."

"Ah!" exclaimed Simoun, pressing his hands to his head and standing
motionless. He remembered to have actually heard the knell while he
was pacing about in the vicinity of the nunnery.

"Dead!" he murmured in a voice so low that it seemed to be a ghost
whispering. "Dead! Dead without my having seen her, dead without
knowing that I lived for her--dead!"

Feeling a terrible storm, a tempest of whirlwind and thunder without
a drop of water, sobs without tears, cries without words, rage in his
breast and threaten to burst out like burning lava long repressed,
he rushed precipitately from the room. Basilio heard him descend the
stairs with unsteady tread, stepping heavily, he heard a stifled cry,
a cry that seemed to presage death, so solemn, deep, and sad that
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