Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-04-29


soon discovered the mistake of Ills people
land, with many cxecrations, had dismoun
ted and left the lady in tho middle of thu
road.
Great was tho cxulta,ion of Antonio a
thus unexpectedly recovering possession .
his prize; but the whole country bcin!
alarmed, he was embarrassed where to se
cure her: it a, last occurred to him that hi
father had the keys of the villa belonging t.
the estate under his charge, which had bcci
uninhabitcd for several years. To tl,
mansion he conveyed his victim, whom he
furnished with mattress and provisions
sufficient for eight days, as he knew, in or.
ders to prevent suspicion, his visits must
first be very rare.
Having selected some apartments adapted
TO his purpose, he nailed the windows closet,
ldown, locked the doors, and left the unl,ap.
py ThcodOra to ruminate at leisure on hcI
uncomfortable situation. We must remark
that, satisfied with having her in his power
and believing that she would at length be re.
duccd to the necessity of accepting him as
her husband, he offered no Interior violence
The rooms to which Theodore had access
were tlrco in number: in vain, on the de-
parture of Antonio, and on the following
days, she made reiterated attempts to open
the massy doors, and TO uncosc the windows.
they we're fastened far too strongly to be
moved by her slender fingers. Day after
day passcG-Antonio came not: the pro-
visions daily decreased, and at length, though
husbandcd with care, were entirely CONSUME
ed; the rangs of hunger commenced, and a
painful and lingering death was before her
eyes. The presence of Antonio-of the
hated Antonio-now became the object of
her vows and soctudc. Her efforts to cs-
cape were removed will, increased dcsrcra-
ton, and with equal ill success. Three
whole days had elapsed since susicnancc of
any kind had passed her lips; her sense
began to fail, aud the acute tormcnts she
had experienced, yielded to iIa, drcadfulscn-
sallon of fainting and sickness which pre-
cedcs death on'inanion. Recommending
therefore, her soul to her maker, she threw
herself on her mattress, to breathe her last,
Just at this instant IA moi and light, for i,
was night, revived her hopes; raising her
head with difficulty, she saw, by the beams
OF FAINT torch, two monsirous figures, so
mlsshapen and trigh,iul, that in any other
situation her fears would Instantly have
oyerpowcred her; but in her present state.
she was on the point Of addressing them,
when one of them prrceiving TIN, they were
observed, moti)ned to his companion to re-
TIRE, and Both instantly withdrew. By tic
light CT tie torch, she had noticed ,hc door
by Which they had disappeared sic also
rhdravored TO open 1t: not succeeding, the
revival OF hope renewing in some measure
her strength, she uttered tie most piercing
cries, in order to make herself heard, cx-
claiming. as loud as she could. tina, she was
DYING for sustcnancc. Her efforts were
"n'val'lng; no reply was made. Believing
all she had seen must have been an illusion.
She returned, in helpless despair, to her mat.
urss, her agony increased by disappoin.-
m'n'. Exhaustion, weakness, and her re-
cent Efforts, threw her lItoa slunhcr; when
sh" awokc, she was at oncc surprised and
d'iIgf',d to sec, by the light which came IN
through tie creviccs Of tie ndow- shutter,
Il basket in corner of the room, which, on
examination, she found to contain a small
flask Of winc, some bread, and some dried
'tn'. As sic had tic prudence to puy,ake
moderately Of this provdential supply, she
soon recovered her strength: lu, the nroyis-
IONS beng IN no great quantity, sic was
soon again reduced to necessity, and was
again supplied.
N!stcrors communication was continued
for some time, until one evening she saw the
door above mentioned again open, and the
same nnconih figures again make their ap-
pcarancr. One of them bcckuncd her TO
approach; she oheyrd, though not without
some terror and hesitation. "Circuns,an-
ces, not to he avoided, render it impossible,
young woman" said one Of them in hollow
tone ct voice. "tor rs any longer to suppl,
yon with food, unless YOU will conscn, to az
company and live with US; we faithfully
promise that you shall receive no ill-,rcat-
mcnt, and that your honor shall be inviola-
bly, respected by US; but you must, in your
turn, engage never to leave the place to
which we shall conduct you without our per-
mission, which it is probable will never be
granted; and that you will never ask any
question respecting any appearances in our
conduct that may appear strange or unac-
countahc to YOU"
Their previous humanity, the knowledge
that we're these people inclined 10 OUTRAGE
her, they had already had ample opporlunl-
~, her apprehcnsious Of perishing of hun
ger, and the hopes that her new conlino-
meni would not be perpetual, induced her
TO signify her assent. One of these strange
figures then bound her eyes, and she was, as
appeared 10 her, conducted through various
rooms, ascending and descending stairs more
than once; and finally, after hearing the
ringing Of chains and the Withdrawing off
bolts, she was lowered into a place where
the bandagc was removed. She now found
herself in an immense vault, at one cxtrcmi-
~ Of which blazed an enormous fire, evil
DENLY rendered necessary by the unwholc-
some damp Of thus subterraneous abode; the
other end was separated by curtains into two
smaller divisions, each Of which contained
bed. A female, who appeared unwcll, oc-
cupied one; by her side safe another, of
about twenty years Of age, Of great beauty
and lady-!ikc aspect, deeply engaged in con-
versaiIon with the other; neither of them
took the slightest notice OF Thcodera, though
they seemed TO have expected her, as they