Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-10-07
p &c C 10 L A.
THE PRISONER OF PENESTRELLA,
Or, Captivity Captive.

Charney. meanwhile, stood motionless
and supplied, his eyes fixed wistlully upon
the plant thus exposed to view, as if his
looks could still afford protection to its
helplessness The day had been cool, the
sky overloaded, and from the stem which
had rallied during the night, sprang several
little healthy, verdant shoots. 1t seemed as
though Picciola were collecting all her
strength to die
TO die !-Piccioia his own, his only
the world of his existence and his dreams
the pivot on which revolved his very life,
10 be reduced TO nothingness Midway in
his aspirations towards a higher sphere,
the flight Of the poor captive over whose
head heaven has suspended its sentence Of
expation, is TO be suddenly arrested! How
will he henceforwart fill up tine vacant mo-
ments Of his leisure i-how satisfy the ach-
ing void in his own bosomi Picciola. the
desert which thou didst people is about to
become once more solitary wilderness!-
No more visions, no more hopes, no more
"reminiscences, no more discoveries TO ln-
scribe, no farther objects Of affection =
How narrow will his prison now appear
how oppressive its atmosphere-the atmos-
phere of tomb,-the tomb Of Picciola
The golden branch sibylline OWNING
rod, which suf1iced to exercise the evil spir-
its BY which he was beset, will no longer
protect him against himselfl The sceptic
the disenchsnted philosopher, must return
10 his former mood Of Incredibly, and
bear once more the burden Of his bitter
thoughts, with no prospect before him but
a ~ N
thousand times preferable to such destiny
AS these thoughts glanced through the
mind Of Charney, he beheld at the little
grated window, the shadow Of the venerable
Girardi. "Alasp murmured the Count,
81 have deprived him Of all he had to live
for and he comes TO triumph over my al.
fiction-to curse me-to derlde me And
he is right for what are sorrows such as
mine compared with those have heaped
upon his revered headF
Charney perceived the old man claspinl
the iron window-bars in his trembling hands
but dared not meet his eyes, and hazard al
being Of whose esteem he was ambitious
The Count dreaded to find that venerable
countenance distorted by the expression o.
reproacli or contempt; and when at length
their chances met, he was touched to th,
soul by the look of tender compassion cas-
upon him by the unhappy father; forgetfu
of his own sorrows in behoiding those o
his companion in misfortune. The onl
tears that had ever fallen from the eyes Q
the Count de Charney, started at that try
ing moment But consolatory as they were
he dried them hurredly as they fell, in tn
dread Of exposing his weakness to the con
tempt and misrepresentation Of the men b
whom he was surrounded.
Among the spectators of this singula
scene, the two sbirri alone remained indil
ferent TO what was passing--staring vacant
ly at the prisoner, the old man, the com
mandant, and the jailer; wondering whs
reference their emotions might bear 10 III
supposed conspiracy, and nothing doub,in
that the mysterious plant, about to be di
lodged, would prove TO have been cover
some momentous hiding-place.
Meanwhile, the fatal operations procee'
ed. Under the orders Of the commandan
Lndovico was attempting TO take up d
rustic beach, which at first seemed to resi-
his feeble efforts.