Here he remained a long time seated and buried in thought; various expressions of fear, anger, and even raillery flitted across his face.
At last he arose, drew a knife from its scabbard, and trying its sharpness, murmured: "I cannot bury him alive! Therefore I am forced to deal the death-blow! No, no, I will not; I have even braved the vengeance of my perfidious master in order not to imbue my hands in his blood, and I will not now be guilty of it.

But what can I do?
I have no other alternative.

I must either bury him alive or kill him! And I cannot stay here all night." He took up the lamp and slowly and silently he cautiously descended the stairs leading to the cellar; after some hesitation he entered; Geronimo's body still lay in the position he left it.
Julio had taken this time a much larger lamp, and it lighted the whole cellar; he heard no sound from the breast of the unfortunate victim, although he saw plainly that life was not extinct, for there was a slight heaving of the breast.
After listening a moment, Julio muttered, with a kind of joy: "No additional cruelty is necessary.

He is in his death-agony, and he will soon die.

I will shut the door and finish my work to-morrow.