Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-11-03
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ture, he might have spoken differently but
he thought only of the present and the past
he thought only of the bloody wrongs that
had been done, and he allowed his soul to
have full sway.
81 am Alaric," he answered, looking full
into Pyrrho's face.
"AlGric! Alaric What Alaric art thou ,"
"Hold, SIRE interposed the chamberlain,
who had been regarding the youth narrowly.
''Methihks thou shoudst know that face. He
is the son of Orenus.'
"Ha Now, by the gods, know him %
cried the king, startling up from his seat, but
quickly sinking back again. ''Art thou the
son of the patrician Orneus :"
"When my noble father lived l was his
son" the 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.
81 did fee," was the reply.
"And have you been absent ever since J"
81 have"
"Where -
"In Greece"
"Why hast thou returned nowi"
"To see the land of my birth"
"Who came with thee ;"
al 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 y
"a bosom friend Of my early youth, whose
influence extends not beyond the walls of her
home"
al "a female, ;"
Eyes"
land lives she with the artisan Bellerusf"
81 went there to seek her %
"And there you found her -
IL 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 -
Alaric hesitated ere he replied to this. He
remembered the warning he had received
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 him to the dwelling of
the mason, and thus matters might be only
made worse.
"She is the daughter of Bellerus," he said
finally.
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 nervously over
his knees. At length he turned to his cham.
berlain and said,
"This is curious freak Of circumstance.
But the young man is like a stranger in our
city, and we must provide for him, at least
for while" Then, turning to Alaric, he
added
"Snce I have had thee brought hither
against thy will, thou shalt be provided for
during the night"
81 can easily provide for myself SIRE"
"Aye-but we do not choose that thou
shouldst be 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 accompanied
them was sufficient key to their import But
he could do nothing now to help himself. He
could only trust to circumstances as thew
should present themselves.
The king called one of his officers to his
side and whispered something into his ear,
and then turned once more to the youth.
at IS waxing late now, and we all have
need of rest, he said; $50 thou shalt be con-
Quoted to place of safety until the NOR
row."
''But, SIRE" intsrposed our hero, "why
should you keep me here tonight? can be
AVuhU "hSh JOu want mt
''We are not so sure of that. But it is our
will that you remain. Nippon, you will con-
duct him to place of rest, and report to me
when thou hast done it,"
The man thus addressed, approached our
hero, and placed his hand upoa him.
"Come," he said.
Aaric started as he heard the tones of that
voice, for they sounded like a knell. The
woid was not spoken as speaks one who leads
a guest to quiet chamber.
$50 with him" spoke the king.
Alaric turned, and was led away. In an
ante-room his conductor was Joined by four
dark, sinister-looking men, who had more the
appearance of common ruffians than walters
upon king, and then he was seized by both
his arms, and hurried on through a vaulted
passage to a dimly lighted corridor. Present.
ly the officer, who was Nippon, the jailor,
stopped at deep niche, where a guard was
posted, and procured torch, by the glarinR
light of which he led on once more.
On, through dark and narrow passages
and down, down, down, long and steep stair
ways, the youth was led and when his con-
duetors finally stopped, Nippon opened door
of solid metal, which swung out from Jag
ged wall, and the prisoner was forced rough
ly in, and the massive door was closed. 1t
was shut with dull, heavy sound. the rever-
berations 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 then 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 too evil for him. He hnew
also, how fear could make the tyrant more
cruel than before, and to what deeds of dark.
ness the fear-stricken usurper can descend.
1t was terrible thought, and for awhile
Alaric was inclined to blame himself for what
he had done but when he came to reflect
upon the transactions Of the day, he could
not see how the present result could have
been avoided. 1t had flown from causes over
which he could have exercised no control
without the power of foreknowledge He
thought of Ianthe, and he wondered If he
should ever see her again. The chances were
against it, but he was not prepared to give
up all hope. He had just started to grope
his way around the Shiny wall, when he
hoard the sound OF footsteps without, and
presently the moving of bolts fell upon his
ear. In few moments more the door Of his
dungeon was opened, and three men entered.
one of them bearing flaming torch. Thew
were were huge fellows, clad in somber garbs.
and each bore a naked sword in his hand.
Alaric recognized those garbs, for he had
seen them years before, and he knew that onl,