Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-11-08

into the surrounding blackness. Where
was ne In second the truth flashed
upon HIM. He had been left in the tomb
While kneeling on the farther side of the
stone box, perhaps he had tainted, and in
the last solemn rites his absence had been
unnoticed.
Ills hrst emotion was one of natural ter
TOT. But this passed as quickly as it came.
Lile hao ceased to be SO very precious to
!! nlm ana II 1t were his fate to die at Ju-
les side, was not that the fulflment of the
desire which he had expressed to himself a
| hundred times that morning. Was it not
coWardly to yield up without struggle the
| lie which he should guard for her sake q
was 1t not his duty to the living and the
| dead to face the difficulties Of his position
and overcome them if it were within hu
man power The vague fear of the super
natural that would affect most men in q
similar situation found no room in his
neart. He was simply shut into chamber
1fom which 1t was necessary that he obtain
release within given period. That this
chamber contained the body of the woman
he loved, so far from adding to the terror
OF the case, was circumstance from which
he drew consolation. She was beautiful
statue now. Her soul was far hence and
If that pure spirit could return, would If
not be to shield him with her love IT
was impossible that the place should not
engender some thoughts of the kind.
Philip CHANGED to have in his pocket a |
boX OF wax tapers which smokers use. At
ter several Intellectual attempts, he succeed |
ed IN 1gnltlng one against the damp wall |
and by It's momentary glare perceived that |
the candle had been left in the tomb. This
would serve him in examining the fasteninos
of the vault. If he could force the inner
door by any means and reach the grating,
OF which he had an indistinct recollection.
ne might hope to mako himself heard
But the oaken door was immovabIe, as solid
as the wall itself, into which it fitted air.
tight. Even If he had had the requisite
tools there were no fastenings to be re-
moved the hinges were set on the out
side.
Having ascertained this, he replaced the
candle on the floor, and leaned against the
wall thoughtfully, watching the blue fan of
tame that wavered to and fro, threatening
to detach itself from the wick. At all events j
he thought, the place is ventilated Sud s
denly Philip sprang forward and extin-
5ulshed the light His existence depended {
upon that candle
He had read somewhere, in some account t
of shipwreck, how the survivors had lived i
:or days upon few candles which one of
he male passengers had insanely thrown
nto the longboat. Ard here he had been
burning away his very life.
by transient illumination of one of the
apers, he looked at his watch. It had
stopped at eleven-but at eleven that day
'r the preceding night /? The funeral, he
Knew, had left sthe church at ten. How
many hours had passed since then ? Of
What duration had been his swoon /?
He picked up the candle and seated him
elf on the stone steps. He was sanguine '
nan, this Wentworth but as he weighed l.
he chances of escape, the prospect did not =
eem encouraging. Of course he would be
missed. His disappearance under the cir l.
would surely alarm his friends !;
hey would instigate search for him but I
Tho would think of seaching for a live man .
n the Cemetery Of Montmarte ? The Pre-
ect of Police would set hundred intelli |
,ences at work to find him the Seine J
night de dragged, and les miSerdbZeS turned =
Ver at the dead house minute descrip- =
ion of him would be in every detectives =
'ocket, and he in NJ. Dorines family =
omb
Yet, on the other hand, it was here he q
vas last seen ; from this point keen de- +
ective would naturally work up the case. L
,hen might lot the undertaken return for !.
he candlestick, probably not left by de- :
ign How long could he keep life in him '
elf ?
With unaccelerated pulse, he quietly cut
he alf-burned candle into four equal parts.
Tonight he meditated, II will eat the
irst of these pieces, tomorrow the second, l.
o-morrow evening the third, the next day :
he fourth, and then-then I'll wait"
He had taken no breakfast unless cup :
# coffee can be called breakfast. He :
lad never been very hungry before. He 3
vas rayenously hungry now. But he post
ooned the meal as long us practicable. It ,
must have been near midnight, according
% his calculation, when he determined to :
ry the first of his four singular rel>asts.-l
The bit of white wax was useless, but 1t
served its purpose.
His appetite for the time appeased, he
ound a new discomfort. The humidity Of 9
he walls and the wind that crept through =
he unseen ventilator chilled him to the ,
oone. To keep walking was his only re-
source. A drOwsiness, too, occasionally :
came over him. 1t took all his will to fight :,
t off. TO Sleep he felt, was to die !; and !
le then made up his mind to live. :
Very strange fancies passed through his !
lead as he groped up and down the stone 9
ioor of the dungeon. His whole life in de- .
all was unrolled before him like pano- o
anna the changes of a year, with its bur !;
len Oh love anu uCdGuS, ILS 6W6StS dAIt p1U-
erness, were epitomized in a second. The I
lesire to sleep had left him. But hunger =
,ame again.
Philip became conscious that the gloom, t
he silence, and the cold were gradually v
him. The feverish activity OF C
lis brain brought on reaction. He grew v
ethargic, he sunk down on the steps, and s
hought of nothing. His hand fell by
nance on one of the pieces Of candle; he
srasped it and devoured it mechanically
his revived him. Chow strange" he
hought, "tbat l am not thirsty. Is it pos a
ible that the dampness of the walls, which
must inhale with every BREATH has sup c
,lied the need of water :: Not drop has
passed my lips for two days, and still L ex- v
,erence no thirst whatever"
The minutes were like hours. Now he i,
walked as briskly as he dared up and down !
he tomb now he rested against the door
dore than once he was tempted to throw
himself upon the stone coffin that held
Julie, and make no struggle for his life.
Only one piece of candle remained. He
lad eaten the third portion, not to satisfy ]
lunger. but for precautionary motive
he had taken it as man takes some disa- {
,reeable drug, upon the result of which !
I