Oh, yes, forbid me to die. Who knows? I shall obey perhaps. I was just dying when you came. That stopped me… — Victor Hugo

Oh, yes, forbid me to die. Who knows? I shall obey perhaps. I was just dying when you came. That stopped me, it seemed to me that I was born again.

In the original (French)

Oh oui, défends-moi de mourir. Qui sait? j’obéirai peut-être. J’étais en train de mourir quand vous êtes arrivés. Cela m’a arrêté, il m’a semblé que je renaissais.

Source: Wikiquote · CC BY-SA 4.0