A mineralogist at Besancon had just sent us a collection of siliceous nodules, which I had to classify: so I set to work; I sorted, labelled, and arranged in their own glass case all these hollow specimens, in the cavity of each of which was a nest of little crystals.
But this work did not succeed in absorbing all my attention.

That old document kept working in my brain.

My head throbbed with excitement, and I felt an undefined uneasiness.

I was possessed with a presentiment of coming evil.
In an hour my nodules were all arranged upon successive shelves.

Then I dropped down into the old velvet armchair, my head thrown back and my hands joined over it.