The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-05-28

from the whole company buzz, murmur,
expressive ofdsapprobation and surprise-then,
finally, of terror Of horror and disgust
In an assembly of phantasms such as [ have
painted, it may well be supposed that no ordi-
nary appearance could have excited such Sensa-
ion. IN truth the masquerade license OF the
night was nearly unlimited but the figure IN
question had out Heroded Herod, and gone be-
yond the bounds OF even the Princes indefinite
decorum. There are cords 10 the hearts OF The
most reckless which cannot be touched without
emotion Even with the utterly lost, TO whom
life and death are equally jSsis, there are mat
teTs OF which no jest can be made The whole
company, indeed, seemed now deeply TO feel
that in the custom and bearing of the stranger
neither wit nor propriety existed. The figure
was tall and gaunt, and shronded from head to
foot in the habilimentS fthe grave. The mask
which concealed the viSage was made 50 nearly
to resemble the countenance OF stlliened corpse
that the closest scratiny must have had difficult
ty in detecting the cheat. A nd yet all this
might have been endured, If not approved by
the mad Jewellers around. Bot the murmur had
gone 50 far as to assume the type of Red Death.
His vesture was dabbled in biood-and his broad
brow, with all the features OF the face, was be-
sprnkled with the scarlet horror.
When the eyes of Prince Prospero fell upon
this spectral image (which with slow and SOL
emn movement, as ifmore fully TO sustain lis
role, stalked 10 and fro among the waltzers) he
was seen 10 be convulsed, in the first moment,
with strong shudder either of terror or dis
taste; but in the next his brow Redeemed with
rage.
"Who dares - be demanded hoarsely of the
courtiers who stood near hm-'who dares in
suit US with this blasphemous mockery! Seize
him and unmask him-that we may know
whom we have to hang at SUNRISE, from the
battlements ~
II was in the eastern or blue chamber in
which stood the Prince Prospero as he uttered
these words. They rang throughout the seven
rooms loudly and clearly-tor the Prince was a
bold and robust man, and the music had become
hushed at the waving Of his hand.
1t was in the blue room where stood the
Prince with group OF pale courtiers by his side.
A first, as he spoke, there was slight rushing
movement of this group in the direction of the
intruder, who at that moment vas also near at
hand, and now win Deliberate asid stat el7stefk
made closer approach to the speaker Bu; from
a certain nameess awe with which the mad as
| sumptons of the murmur had inspired the whole
party, there wrre found none who put forth
hand to seize him; so that unimpeded, be passed
J
the vast assembly, as with one impulse, shrank
from the centres of the rooms 10 the walls, he
made his way uninterrupted, bat with the same
slow and measured step which had distinguished
him from the first, through the blue chamber TO
the purple through the purple 10 the green
throHgh the green TO the orange-thgough this
/ again 70 the White-aQd even thence 10 the TlO-
| let ere decided movement had been made 10
arrest him. II WAS then, however, that the
| Prince Prospero, maddenug with rage and the
shame OF his own momentary cowardice, rushed
| hurrIedly through the six chambers, while none
! followed him on account Of deadly terror that
/ had seized upon all. He bore aloit \ drawn
dagger, and had approached, in rapid imprtuoS-
ty, TO within three or four feet OF the retreatng
| figure, when the latter, having attained the eX-
! tremlty OF the velvet apartment, turned sud
| denly and confronted his pursuer. There was
a sharp cry-and the dagger dropped cleaning
| upon The sable carpet, upon which, instantly
| afterwards, fell prostrated in death the Prince
| Prospero Then summoning he wild courage
! Of despair, throng of the jewellers at once
threw themselves into the black apartment and
/ SrlZing the murderer, whose tall figure stood
erect and motionless within the shadow of the
ebony clock, gasped in unutterable horror at
| finding the grave cerements and corpse like mask
which they handled with 50 violent a rudeness,
untenanted by any tangible form.
And now vas acknowledged the presence of
| the Red Death. He had come like thief in
the night. And one by one dropped the revel
ers in the blood-bedewed halls Of their revel,
and died each 10 the desPairing posture OF bis
fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out
with that of the last OF the gay. And the flames
of the tripods expired. And Darkness, and De-
cay and the Red Death held illimjtable domn-
| ion over all.