The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-11-11

city, was not the object of Tolfi, fol
he might have inflicted it, and had
not. 1t was too evident, therefore
he was reserved for some premeditat.
cd scheme of subtitle vengeance; and
whatvengeanc could transced intend.
ish malice, either the slow death OF
famine, or the still slower one of soli-
tary incarceration, till the last lin
gering spark ST life expired, or till
reason fled, and nothing should re.
main to perish but tho brute functions
of the body?
IL was in dusk of evening when
Vivcnzio entered his dungeon, and
the approaching shades ofnight wrap
ped it in total darkness, as he paced
up and down revolving in his mind
these horrible forebodings. No tool
ing bell from the castle, or from any
neighboring church or convent, struck
upon his car to tell him how the hours
passed. Frequently he would stop
and listen for some sound that might
bctoken the vicinity of man; but the
solitude of the desert, the silence of
the tomb, are not so still and deep, as
the oppressive dissolution by which
/ he was cncompassed. His heart sunk
within him, and he threw himself de-
.iectedly upon his couch of straw
Here sleap gradually obliteratcd the
consciousness of scenes which were
once glowing realities for him, in
whose ravishing illusions he soon lost
the remembrance that he was Tolli s
prisoner.
When lie awolc, il was daylight;
but how long he had slept he knew
not. 1t might be sultry noon, for he
could measure time by no other note
of its progress than light and dark
ness. He had been so happy in his
sleep, amid friends who loved him,
and the sweeter endearmcnts of fthose
who loved him rs friends could not,
that in the first moments of waking.
his startled mind seemed to admit the
knowledge of his situation, rs if it had
burst upon it for the first time, fresh
in all its appalling horrors. He gazcd
round with an air of doubt and
amazment, and took up handful Of
the straw upon which he lay, as
though he would ask himself what it
meant. But memory, too faithful TO
her Office, soon unyailed the melan-
choly past, while Icason, shuddering
at the task, flashed before his eyes
the tremendous future. The contrast
ovcrpowercd him. He remained for
sumc ti1c lauicnJiiIg, IKE JruLn, une
bright visions that had vanished; and
recoiling from the present, which
clung TO him rs poisoned garment.
When he grew more calm, he sur
vcycd his gloomy dungeon Alas!
the stronger light of day only served
to confirm what the gloomy indistinct-
ness of the preceding evening had
partially disclosed, the utter impos-
sibiIity of escape. AS, however, his
eyes wandered round and round, and
from place to place, he noticed two
circumstances which excited his sur
prise and curiosity. The one, he
thought, might he fancy; but the other
was positive. His pitcher of water,
and the dish which contained his
food, had been removed from his side
while he slept, and now stood near
the door. Were he even inclined to
doubt this by supposing he mad mis-
taken the spot where he saw them
over night, he could not for the pitcher
now in his dungeon was neither Of the
same shape nor color rs the other,
while the food was changed Tor some
other of better quality. He had been
visited therefore during the night
But how had the person obtained en-
trance? Could he have slept so sound
ly that the unlocking and opening of
those ponderous portals were effected
without waking him? lie would have
said this was not possible, but that in
doing so, he must admit n great diff
iiculty, and entrance by other means,
of which he was convinced there eX-
isted none, 1t was not intended,
then, that he should be left to perish
from hunger. But the secret and
mysterious mode Of supplying him
with food, seemed to indicate he was
to have no opportunity TO communi-
cate with human being.
The other circumstances which had
attracted his notice, was the disap-
pearahce, rs he believed, Of one of
the seven grated windows that ran
along the top of his prison. He felt
confident that he had observed and
counted them; for he was rather sur
priscd at their number, and there was
somthing peculiar in their form, rs
well rs in the manner of their ar
rangemcnt, ut unequal distances. IL
was so much easier, however, to sup
pose he was mistaken, then that II
portion Of the solid iron which formed
the walls, could have escaped from
its position, that he soon dismissed
the thought from his mind.
Nivenzio partook of the food that
was before him, without apprehen-
sion. 1t might be poisoned; but il it
were, he knew he could not escape
death, should such be the design of
Tolh, and the quicker death would be
the speediest release.
The day passed wcarily and gloom
| lily; though not without faint hope
that, by keeping watch at night, he
might observe when the person came
to bring him food, which he supposed
he would do in the same way rs be.