Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-02-19

ed to consider them; he could discover moth
ing, absolutely nothing, 10 relieve his doubt:
or satisfy his curiosity. Sometimes he fan
cied that altogether the dungeon had a more
contracted appearance that it looked smaller
but this he ascribed TO fancy, and the impres
sion naturally produced upon his mind by the
undeniable disappearance of two of the win
dows.
With intense anxiety Vivenzio looked for
ward TO the return of night and as it approach
ed, he resolved that no treacherous sleep should
again betray him. Instead of seeking his bed
of straw, he continued to walk up and down
his dungeon till daylight, straining his eyes in
every direction through the darkness, TO watch
for any appearances that might explain these
mysteries While thus engaged, and as near.
ly as he conld Judge, (by the time that elapsed
before the morning came in) about two o'clock
there was slight tremulous motion of the
floor. He stopped. The motion lasted nearly
a minute; but it was so extremely gentle, that
he almost doubted whether it was real, or only
imaginary. He listened. Not sound could
be heard. Presently, however, he felt rush
of cold air blow upon him; and dashing to.
wards the quarter whence it seemed TO proceed
he stumbled over something which he Judged
TO be the water ever. The rush of cold all
was no longer perceptible; and as Vivenzo
stretched ont his hands, he found himself close
10 the walls He remained motionless for a
considerable time; but nothing occurred during
the remainder of the night TO excite his a,ten.
ton, though he continued to watch with una
bated vigilance
The first approaches of the morning were
visible through The grated windows, breaking
with faint divisions of light, the darkness that
still pervaded every other part, long before vi.
venzo was enabled to distinguish any objec, r
his dungeon. Instinctively and fearfully he
turned his eyes, hot and innamed with watch
ing, towards them. There were FOUR he
could see only four; but it might be that some
intervening object prevented the fifth from be-
coming perceptible; and he waited impatienlly
TO ascertain if it were so. As the ligh
strengthened, however, and penetrated every
corner of the cell, other objects of amazemen
struck his sight. On the ground lay the brok
en- fragments of the pitcher he had used the
day before, and at small distance from them
nearer TO the wall, stood the one he had noticed
the first night. 1t was filled with water, and
beside II was his food. lie was now certain
that, by some mechanical contrivance, an open
ing had been obtained, and through this open.
ing the carrent Of air had found entrance Bu
how noiseless! For had feather waved al
the time he must have heard it. Again he ex.
amined that part of the wall but both 10 sight
and touch il appeared one even and uniform
surface, while to repeated and violent blows
there was no reverberating sound indicative O
hollowness
This perplexing mystery had fer a tim,
Withdrawn his thoughts from the windows =
but now directing his eyes again towards them
same manner as the preceding two, without tn,
least distinguishable alteration of external ap
| pearances. The remaining four looked al
the seven had originally looked that is
occupying, at irregular distances, the top o
the wall on that side of the dungeon. Th,
tall folding door, too, still seemed to stand be
meath, in the centre of these four, as it at frs
stood in the centre of the seven. Bnt he coulc
no longer doubt, what, on the preceding day
he fancled might be the effect of visual decep
ton. The dungeon ,cas smaller. The roo
was lowered-and the opposite ends had con
tracted the intermediate distance by spac,
equal, he thought, to that over which the thre,
windows had extended. He was bewilderet
in vain imasinings to account for these things
Some frightful purpose-some devilish tortur,
of mind or body-some unheard of device TO
producing exquisite misery-lurked, he wa
sure, in what had taken place.
Oppressed with this belief, and d.tracte,
more by the dreadful uncertainty of whateve
fate impended, that he could be dismayed, h
sat rumiuating, hour after hour, yielding hi
fears in succession to every haggard fancy
AT last horrible suspicion flashed suddenl
across his mind, and he started up with fran
tic air. 'Yes!' he exclaimed, looking Wild
round his dungeon, and shuddering as he spok
- Yes! it must be so! see it! feel tn
naddening truth like scorching flames upon m
brain! Great Heaven! support me! it mus
be SO. Yes, yes, that is to be my fate Yo
roof will descend! these walls will hem m
round-and slowly, slowly, crush me in thei
iron arms Mercifnl Jehovah look down up
on me, and in pity strike me with instan
death. Oh, fend-oh, demons this you
revenge! t--....-.-. t.4. ..
He dashed himself upon the ground in age
ny tears burst from him, and the swea, s,oo
in large drops upon his face-he sobbed alou
he tore his hair-he rolled about like an
suffering intolerabe anguish of body, am
would have bitten the iron floor beneath him
he breathed fearful curses upon Tolf, and III
next moment passionate prayers to heaven fu
immediate death. Then the violence of hi
grlef became exhausted, and he lay still, weeE
ing as child would weep. The twilight .
departing day shed its gloom around him er
ne arose from that posture of utter and hopeles
sorrow. He had taken no food. Not one dro
of water had cooled the fever of his parche
lips Sleep had not visited his eyes for 81
and thirty hours. He was faint with hunger
weary with watching and with the excess {
his emotions He tasted of b;s f,ol he dr,,