The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-11-17

Suiii luO prisoner replied.
:" And when your noble father died YOU
fled from the country ?" said the monarch
with sarcastic emphasis upon the words |
he had repeated from the youths speech. |
" did aee," was the reply.
And have you been absent ever since ?"
Il have"
Where p
In Greece ?"
" Why hast thou returned now ?"
" 10 see the land of my birth"
Who came with thee ?"
landed alone upon these shores your
majesty, and had no thought but to find
friend; and then, if need be, to leave
the country again"
" And who is the friend you sought 2"
" a bosom friend of my early youth,
whose influence extends not beyond the
walls Of her home.
Aha female, ell ?"
YES"
And lives she with the artisan Bel
lerus ?"
S | went there to seek her -
"And there you found her ?"
81 heard of her there"
"Answer me" cried the king, in a
voice of rage. by the sacred crown of
Jupiter, thou hadst better bite off thine
own head than answer me again as thou
hast done. Who is the maiden thou hast
come to seek ~
Aaric hesitated ere he replied to this
lie remembered the warning he had re-
ceived from Bellerus, and he began to feel
that he had been too rash in his speech
But he had no choice now. If he refused
to answer, the king could easily send to
the dwelling of the mason, and thus mat.
tiers might be only made worse
he is the daughter of Bellerus," he
finally said.
The monarch gazed into the youths face
for some moments without speaking There
was look of deadly meaning upon his
hard features, and his fingers moved ner-
vovsy over his knees. AT length he turned
to his chamberlain, and said
This is a curious freak of circumstance.
But the young man is like a stranger in
our city, and we must provide for hm-at
least lor while Then turning to Alaric
he added:
"Since have had thee brought hither
against thy will, thou shalt be provided
70 during the night"
Il can easily provide for myself, sire"
"Aye-but we do not choose that thou
shouldst put to that Inconvenience. We
have room enough, and to spare and it
will afford us true qualification to know
that thou art cared for"
Alaric could not mistake the meaning
of these words. The look which accom-
panied them was a sufficient key to their
import. But he could do nothing now to
help himself He could only trust to cir
cumstances as they should present them
selves.
The king called one of his officers to his
side and whispered something into his ear
and then turned once more to the youth.
1t is waxing late now, and we all have
need of rest" he said $50 thou shalt be
conducted to 4 place of safety until the
morrow"
But sire " interposed our hero, " why
should you keep me here tonight? /
can be fonnd when you want me-"
8" We are not so sure Of that But it
is our will that you remain Nippon, you
will conduct him to a place Of rest, and
eport to me when thou hast done it,"
The man thus addressed approached
our hero, and placed his hand upon his
arm.
Come" he said
Alaric started as he heard the tones of
that voice. for they sounded like knel.
The word was not spoken as speaks one
who leads guest to a quiet chamber.
GO with him. spoke the king.
Alaric turned and was led away. In
an ante-room his conductor was joinsd by
four dark, sinister-looking men, who had
more the appearance Of common rufhans
than walters upon a king, and then he was
seized by both his arms, and hurried on
through vaulted passage to dimly-
lighted corridor. Presently the officer,
who was Hipdon the jalor, stopped at
deep niche, where a guard was posted,
and procured a torch, by the garing light
of which he lei on once more.
On, through dark and narrow passages
and down, down, down, long and steep
stairways, the youth was led and when
his conductors finally stopped, Nippon
opened door of solid metal, which swung
out from a jagged wall, and the prisoner
was forced roughly in, and the massive
door was closed. 1t was shut with dull
he. w sound, the reverberations being
drunk up by the solid walls as soon as
they fell upon the air--and the prisoner
was left in utter darkness. He closed his
eyes, and III opened them again, to see
if some glimmer might not be found to
break the horrible gloom but it was all
in vain. He CROPPED his way to the wall,
and leaned against it for support, for there
was no seat save the floor.
The youth was not long in making up
his mind that he had been doomed to death.
He knew the character Of the monarch,
and that no deed would be to evil for him.
He knew, also, how fear could make the
tyrant more cruel than before, and to what
deeds of darkness the fear-stricken usur-
per can descend.