"Therese! Therese!" he called in a stifling, sibilant voice.
The young woman looked at him, clinging with both hands to the seat. The
skiff creaked and danced upon the river. She could not close her eyes,
a frightful contraction kept them wide open riveted on the hideous
struggle. She remained rigid and mute.
"Therese! Therese!" again cried the unfortunate man who was in the
throes of death.
At this final appeal, Therese burst into sobs. Her nerves had given way.
The attack she had been dreading, cast her to the bottom of the boat,
where she remained doubled up in a swoon, and as if dead.
Laurent continued tugging at Camille, pressing with one hand on his
throat. With the other hand he ended by tearing his victim away from
the side of the skiff, and held him up in the air, in his powerful arms,
like a child. As he bent down his head, his victim, mad with rage and
terror, twisted himself round, and reaching forward with his teeth,
buried them in the neck of his aggressor. And when the murderer,
restraining a yell of pain, abruptly flung the clerk into the river, the
latter carried a piece of his flesh away with him.
Camille fall into the water with a shriek.
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