He was attacked by this doubt, this uneasiness, this terror; suppose a force more powerful than himself, masterful, irresistible, overcame him, what would happen? Yes, what might not happen? Assuredly he would go to the place of the meeting, since he was quite ready to go. But supposing he trembled? Supposing he fainted? He thought of the scene, of his reputation, his good name.

There came upon him a strange need to get up and look at himself in the mirror. He relit his candle. When he saw his face reflected in the polished glass, he scarcely recognised it, it seemed to him as though he had never yet seen himself. His eyes looked to him enormous; and he was pale; yes, without doubt he was pale, very pale.

He remained standing in front of the mirror. He put out his tongue, as though to ascertain the state of his health, and abruptly the thought struck him like a bullet:

"The day after to-morrow, at this very hour, I may be dead."

His heart began again its furious beating.

"The day after to-morrow, at this very hour, I may be dead. This person facing me, this me I see in the mirror, will be no more. Why, here I am, I look at myself, I feel myself alive, and in twenty-four hours I shall be lying in that bed, dead, my eyes closed, cold, inanimate, vanished."

He turned back towards the bed, and distinctly saw himself lying on his back in the very sheets he had just left. He had the hollow face of a corpse, his hands had the slackness of hands that will never make another movement.

At that he was afraid of his bed, and, to get rid of the sight of it, went into the smoking-room. Mechanically he picked up a cigar, lit it, and began to walk up and down again. He was cold; he went to the bell to wake his valet; but he stopped, even as he raised his hand to the rope.

terror [´terə]   n.恐怖；惊骇   (初中英语单词)

enormous [i´nɔ:məs]   a.巨大地，很，极   (初中英语单词)

standing [´stændiŋ]   n.持续 a.直立的   (初中英语单词)

abruptly [ə´brʌptli]   ad.突然地；粗鲁地   (初中英语单词)

furious [´fjuəriəs]   a.狂怒的；猛烈的   (初中英语单词)

distinctly [di´stiŋktli]   ad.清楚地，明晰地   (初中英语单词)

ascertain [,æsə´tein]   vt.探查；查明   (高中英语单词)

uneasiness [ʌn´i:zinis]   n.不安，担忧；不自在   (英语四级单词)

irresistible [,iri´zistəbəl]   a.不可抵抗的   (英语四级单词)

overcame [,əuvə´keim]   overcome的过去式   (英语四级单词)

assuredly [ə´ʃuəridli]   ad.确实地；确信地   (英语四级单词)

reputation [repju´teiʃən]   n.名誉；名声；信誉   (英语四级单词)

corpse [kɔ:ps]   n.尸体   (英语四级单词)

mechanically [mi´kænikəli]   ad.机械地；无意识地   (英语六级单词)