Eh, doctor?
You understand?
That man was happy enough to be dead, and they dared to dip him in their water in the criminal hope to make him alive again! But suppose they had succeeded, suppose their water had animated that poor devil once more--for one never knows what may happen in this funny world--don't you think that the man would have had a perfect right to spit his anger in the face of those corpse-menders?
Had he asked them to awaken him?
How did they know if he were not well pleased at being dead?
Folks ought to be consulted at any rate.

Just picture them playing the same vile trick on me when I at last fall into the great deep sleep.

Ah! I would give them a nice reception.
'Meddle with what concerns you,' I should say, and you may be sure I should make all haste to die again!" He looked so singular in the fit of rage which had come over him that Abbe Judaine and the doctor could not help smiling.

Pierre, however, remained grave, chilled by the great quiver which swept by.

Were not those words he had just heard the despairing imprecations of Lazarus?
He had often imagined Lazarus emerging from the tomb and crying aloud: "Why hast Thou again awakened me to this abominable life, O Lord?
I was sleeping the eternal, dreamless sleep so deeply; I was at last enjoying such sweet repose amidst the delights of nihility! I had known every wretchedness and every dolour, treachery, vain hope, defeat, sickness; as one of the living I had paid my frightful debt to suffering, for I was born without knowing why, and I lived without knowing how; and now, behold, O Lord, Thou requirest me to pay my debt yet again; Thou condemnest me to serve my term of punishment afresh! Have I then been guilty of some inexpiable transgression that thou shouldst inflict such cruel chastisement upon me?
Alas! to live again, to feel oneself die a little in one's flesh each day, to have no intelligence save such as is required in order to doubt; no will, save such as one must have to be unable; no tenderness, save such as is needed to weep over one's own sorrows.