Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-10-12


the water ever. The ruslfof cold air was no
longer perceptible and as Vivenzo stretched
out lis hands, he found l6mself close to the
walls. He remained motidnless for consider
able time; but nothing occurred during the re-
mainder Of the night to excite his attention,
though he continued to watch with an unabatcd
vigilance.
The first approaches d the morning were
visible through the grated windows, breaking,
with faint divisions Of ligm, .he darkness that
still prevaded every othef lert, long before
vivonzio was.enable to Distinguish any object
in his dungeon. Instinctisely and fearfully he
tarncd Bis eya ,lot and inilahled with watching,
towards them. There were iOuR He could
SEQ only four; but II niIsl Il u that some inter-
ycning objosst preventing ~ ~ becoming per-
ccptiblc; and he waited impatiently to ascer-
tain if it were so. As the light strengthened
however, and penetrated every corner of the
cell, other objects of amazcment struck his
sight. On the ground lay the broken 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 it
was lis food. He was not certain, that by
some mechanical contrivance, an opening was
obtained through the iron wall, and that though
this opening the current Of air had found en-
trance. But how noiscss. For had a feather
almost waved at the time, he must have heard
it, Again he examined that part Of the wall !;
but both to sight and touch tappearod one even
and uniform surface while to repeated and vio-
lent blows, there was no revcrbcrating sound
indicative of hollowncss.
This perplexing mystery had for time with
drawn his thoughts from the windows; but
now, directing his eye again towards them, he
saw that the fifth had disappeared in the same
manner as the preceding two, without the least
distinguishable alteration of external appear
anees. The remaining four looked as the seven
had originally looked; that is, occupying, at
irregular distances, the top OF tho wall on. that
side of the dungeon. The tall folding door,
too, still seemed to stand beneath, in the centre
Of these four, as it had at first stood in the
centre of the seven But he could no longer
doubt, what, on the preceding day, he fancied
might he the effect Of visual deception. The
dungeon was smaller. The roof had lowered
and the opposite ends had contracted the i'm
mediate distance by span equal, he thought to
that over which the three windows had extern
ded. lie was bcwildcr2d in vain imaginations
to account for these things. Some fright. ul
purpose deyilish torture of mind or body
-evsss'anbeardas device fafssyAst,sing xassisit,
misery, lurkcd, he was sure, IN what had taker
place. Oppressed with his belief, and distracted
more by the dreadful uncertainty of whatever
fate impendcd, than he could be dismayed, hi
thought, by the knowledge of the worst, he 81.
ruminating hour after hour, yielding his fear
in succession to every haggard fancy. At las
II horrible suspicion flashed suddenly across Iii
mind and he started up with frantic air
"Yes!" he exclaimed, looking wildly aroun'
his dungeon, and shuddered az he spoke-''Yc
it must be SO see it | feel the maddenin!
truth like scorching flames upon my brain
Eternal God support me! Yes, yes, that i
to he my fate You roof will descend !-thcs
walls will hem me round-and slowly, slowl
crush me in their iron arms Lord God =
loo; down upon me, and in mercy strike M
with instant death Oh, fiend-oh, devil
this your revcngo!' -
He dashed himself upon the ground in agony
tears burst from him, and The sweat stood il
large drops npon his face-ho sobbed aloud-b
tore his har--he rolled ;tbout like one suG,.rin
intolerable anguish Of body, and would hay
bitten the iron door beneath him; he breathe
fearful curses upon Tolli and the next momen
passionate prayers from heaven for imnediat
death Then thy violence of his grief bscam
exhausted, and he lay sill, weeping us chill
would weep. TA1 twilight Of departing da
shed it's gloom around him ere he aros, from
that posture of utter and hopeless sorrow. lii
had taken no food. Not drop Of water ha
cooled the fever on his parched lips. Sleep ha
not visited his weary eyes for six and thirt
hours lie was faint with hunger; weary wit
watching, and with excess of lis emotions. II
tasted of his food, he drank with avility of hi
!, water and reeling like drunken man to hi
, straw cast himslf upon it to brood again owe
the APPALLING image that had fastened itselfupo
, his almost frenzed thoughts.
He slept. But his slunbars were not trar
1 quill. lie resisted, as long as he could thei
Y approach and when, at last, enfeebled natur
q yielded to their influence, he found no oblivio
from his cares. Terrible dreams haunted him
r ghastly visions narrowed uphis Imagination
he shouted and screamed, as if he already fo
= the dungeons ponderous roof descending upo
e him--he broathed hard and thick. as thoug
Y writing between its iron walls. Then he woul
+ spring up-stare wildly about him--stretc
: forth his hands to be sure that he had yet spaC
is enough to liye-and, muttering some ncoherer
II words, sink down again, to pass through I'll
q same yicissitudes of delrious Sleep
d The morning of the fourth day dawned upc
d Vivenzio. But it was high noon before h
,e mind shook off its stupor, OF he awoke to u fu
consciousness of his situation. And what
r fixed energy of despair sat upon his pale featur
l. as he cast his eye upwards, and sazed upon tt
a three windows that now remained The thre
ID there were no more, and they seemed to ha
is numbered his own allotted days. Slowly a,
~ calmly he next surveyed the top and sides, al
Or anl comprehended all the meaning of the dimi
s. ished height, of the former, as well as the gra
as ual approximation of the latter, The oontra'
ls cd dimensions of hia mysterious prison we