AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 7 



there, Frank ! " he said in a feeble voice — " Ha, ha, 

 ha ! it was touch and go with you ! " and he uttered a 

 weak and sarcastic laugh. ** Call Doctor Dodwell 

 and the lawyer — desire them to bring the other will — 

 and tell Moore and Hubert to attend to witness it." 

 While he gave these orders I gazed on the wasted features 

 of the dying miser, and there was a strange expression of 

 stern satisfaction visible on his countenance, as his 

 cold glance rested fixedly on me. Immediately the 

 doctor, solicitor, and witnesses entered the room — 

 " Raise me up," he said to the ancient domestic, his 

 personal attendant. It was done, and he motioned 

 to the solicitor to unfold the parchment. Carefully he 

 passed his eye over the surface to assure himself that the 

 document was the one he required, and having ascertained 

 the fact, he pointed to a pen. With difficulty he placed 

 it in his trembling fingers, and, with a painful exertion, 

 affixed his signature to the deed — then looking at the 

 witnesses as they annexed their names — " This is my 

 last will and testament," he said, with a feeble emphasis, 

 " and thus do I revoke all others ! " — then turning to 

 me, while a ghastly smile overspread his face, " Half 

 an hour later would have served hospitals and alms- 

 houses, Francis " he leaned himself back and expired 

 without a struggle. 



For a few moments we were not aware that he was 

 dead ; the strength with which his last remark was 

 uttered led us at first to believe that he had reclined 

 in consequence of the exertion. In a few minutes the 

 physician took his hand and sought for a pulse, but in 

 vain ; he raised the eyelid and applied a candle to the 

 fixed and deadly stare, and then announced that the 

 patient had departed. 



