As he was reading, an affray arose between two gentlemen in the room, who were both partially intoxicated.

St.Clare and one or two others made an effort to separate them, and St.Clare received a fatal stab in the side with a bowie-knife, which he was attempting to wrest from one of them.
The house was full of cries and lamentations, shrieks and screams, servants frantically tearing their hair, throwing themselves on the ground, or running distractedly about, lamenting.

Tom and Miss Ophelia alone seemed to have any presence of mind; for Marie was in strong hysteric convulsions.

At Miss Ophelia's direction, one of the lounges in the parlor was hastily prepared, and the bleeding form laid upon it.

St.
Clare had fainted, through pain and loss of blood; but, as Miss Ophelia applied restoratives, he revived, opened his eyes, looked fixedly on them, looked earnestly around the room, his eyes travelling wistfully over every object, and finally they rested on his mother's picture.
The physician now arrived, and made his examination.