As soon as the old man saw the vacant patch of sky in place of the
branched column so familiar to his gaze, he sprang up, speechless, his
eyes rose from their hollows till the whites showed all round; he fell
back, and a bluish whiteness overspread him.
Greatly alarmed, they put him on the bed. As soon as he came a little
out of his fit, he gasped, "Oh, it is gone!--where?--where?"
His whole system seemed paralyzed by amazement. They were
thunder-struck at the result of the experiment, and did all they could.
Nothing seemed to avail. Giles and Fitzpiers went and came, but
uselessly. He lingered through the day, and died that evening as the
sun went down.
"D--d if my remedy hasn't killed him!" murmured the doctor.