Litchfield enquirer., 1851-05-15

future. The contrast overpowered him.
He remained for some time lamen'ing,
like truth, the bright visions that had
vanished. and recoiling from the present
which chung to him as a poisoned gar
ment. ...
When he grew more calm he surveyed
his gloomy dungeon. Alas! the strong>
er light of day only served to confirm
what the gloomy indistinctness of the
previous evening had partially disclosed !;
the utter impossibility of escape. AS.
however, his eyes wandered round and
round, and from place to place, be noti>
ced two circumstances which excited his
surprise and curiosity. The one, he
thought, might be fancy; but the other
was positive. His pitcher Of water, and
the dish which contained his food, had
been removed from his side while he slept
and now stood near the door. Were he
even inclined to doubt this, by surprising
he had mistaken the spot where he saw
them over night, he could not; for the
pitcher now in his dungeon was neither
of the same form nor color as the other,
while the food was changed for some 9th
err of better quality. He had been visit
ed there during the night. But how had
the person obtained entrance Could he
have slept so soundly. that the unlocking
and opening of those ponderous portals
were effected without waking him? He
would have said this was not possible,
but that in doing so, he must admit a
greater difficulty-an entrance by other
means of which he was convinced there
was none. 1t was not intended then, that
he should be left to perish from hunger.
But the secret and mysterious mode Of
supplying him with food, seemed to indi-
cate he was to have no opportunity Of
communicating with human being.
Tie other circumstance which had at
tracted his notice, was the disappearance
as he believed, of one of the seven grated
windows that ranged along the top of his
prison. He felt confident that he had
observed and counted them; for he was
rather surprised at their number, and
there was something peculiar in their
form, as we'll as in the manner of tEeir
arrangement, at unequal distances. 1t
was so much easier, however, to suppose
he was mistaken, than that portion of
the solid iron, which formed the walls,
could have escaped from its position, that
he soon dismissed the thought from bis
mind. ....
Vivenzio partook of the food that was
before him without apprehension. 1t
might be poisoned; but if it were, he
knew he could not escape death, should
such be the design Of Tolfi; and the
quickest death would be the speediest re-
lease.
The day passed YEARLY and gloomily,
though not without faint hope that, by
keeping watch at night, he might observe
when the person came again to bring him
food, which he supposed he would do
the same way as before. The mere tho1'
of being approached by a living creature
and the opportunity it might present of
learning the doom prepared or preparing
for him, impaired some comfort. Be-
sides, if he came alone, might he not in
furious onset overpower him 4? Or he
might be accessible to pity, or the influ"
ence of snch munifcent rewards as he
could bestow, if once more at liberty and
master Of himself. Say he were armed
The worst that could befall, if no bride
nor prayers, nor force prevailed, was {
faithful blow, which though dealt in {
damned cause, might work desired
end. There was no chance SO desperate
but it looked lovely in Vivenzio's eyes
compared with the idea Of being totally
abandoned. j..
The night came, and Vivenzio watched
Morning came, and Vivenzio was con-
founded! He musthave slumbered with.
out knowing it. Sleep must have stolen
over him when exhausted by fatigue, and
in that interval of feverish repose he had
been baffled, for there stood his replen'
ished pitcher of water, and there his days
meal Nor was this all. Casting his
locks towards the windows of his dun
geon, he counted but FIvE! Here was
no deception. and he was now convinced
that there had been none the day before
But what did all this portend !? Into
what strange and mysterious den had he
been cast? He gazed till his eyes ach>
ed he could discover nothing to explain
the mystery. That it was SO, he knew.
He racked his imagination in vain to con-
lecture. He examined the doors. A
single circumstance convinced him they
had not been opened.
A wisp Of straw, which he had care
lessly thrown against them the preceding
day, as he paced to and fro. remained
where he had cast it, though it must have
been displaced by the slightest motion oil
either Of the doors. This was evidence
that could not be disputed; and il fol.
lowed there must be somo secret nachi-
merry in the walls by which o person
could enter. He inspected them close.
". They appeared TO him one solid and
conlpact mass Of iron or Joined, ii ioins