Oh，whatacontrastdidO’Connoraffordashelayinalltheabjecthelplessnessofundisguisedterroruponhisdeath-bed，totheproudcomposurewithwhichhehadtakenthefieldthatmorning。Ihadalwaysbeforethoughtofdeathasofaquietsleepstealinggraduallyuponexhaustednature，madewelcomebysuffering，or，atleast，softenedbyresignation；
Ihadneverbeforestoodbythesideofoneuponwhomthehandofdeathhadbeenthussuddenlylaid；Ihadneverseenthetyrantarrayedinhisterrortillthen。
NeverbeforeorsincehaveIseenhorrorsointenselydepicted。ItseemedactuallyasifO’Connor’smindhadbeenunsettledbytheshock；thefewwordsheutteredweremarkedwithalltheincoherenceofdistraction；butitwasnotwordsthatmarkedhisdespairmoststrongly，theappallingandheart-sickeninggroansthatcamefromtheterror-strickenanddyingmanmusthauntmewhileI
live；theexpression，too，ofhopeless，imploringagonywithwhichheturnedhiseyesfromobjecttoobject，Icanneverforget。Atlength，appearingsuddenlytorecollecthimself，hesaid，withstartlingalertness，butinavoicesoalteredthatIscarcecouldrecognisethetones：
’Purcell，Purcell，goandtellmypoormother；shemustknowall，andthen，quick，quick，quick，callyouruncle，bringhimhere；Imusthaveachance。’Hemadeaviolentbutfruitlessefforttorise，andafteraslightpausecontinued，withdeepandurgentsolemnity：’Doctor，howlongshallIlive？Don’tflatterme。