The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-07-02

I liuCu anu 4uOthCU tiiC hliONtCQSC
and the power of the Serenissima.
Slowly and regularly the words fol-
lowed each other as the links of a
lengthy chain, as steadily as the
drops of rain ON winters day
The pens of the scribes, creaking as
they hurried over the paper, made 4
fit accompanied to this recital Ex
cept for them, all was as motionless,
as still as if no human hearts were
beating under those black silk man
ties. 1t ended at last and with a
sense of relief Sir John strained his
senses to see, to hear what would
| follow.
After short pause, the judge who
sat at the centre of sthe table stood
up and addressed him in these
terms; "You have heard the evil
dence against you; now follow us
and hear your sentence"
No cross-examination, no defence
was allowed by the laws of this
Council. Rising together as if NOV
ed by a single mind, the funeral pro-
cessidn followed its leader, and left
the hall by the door through which
Sir John had entered it. Again
through the same winding passages,
again down the same winding steps,
silently and noiselessly they glided
like ghosts returning to their graves.
Surrounded by his guards, Sir John
followed Immediately after the last
of the judges, wondering all the
time what was to be his fate. When
they had reached the lowest floor of
the building, and were nearing again
the loathsome cell from which he
had so lately been taken, the cortege
divided, and Sir John was brought
face to face with the senior Judge.
You have insulted the Serenissi-
ma; you have denied its power of
Furnishing crime, because you have
been robbed of paltry handker
chief, and it has not been immedi-
ately found and given back to you.
Now lookl" As he said these last
words the masked Judge stepped to
the side and directed Sir Johns gaze
to a darker corner of the dark pass
age. There, hanging against the
wall, the rope that encircled his neck
disappearing through the stone, was
the corpse of a man.
Entranced by this sight, and
thinking that perhaps he also was
going to be hanged in the same man
ner by an unseen hand, Sir John
felt rooted to the spot.
After short silence thejudge con-
tinued: This man was the thief;
in his right hand YOU will find your
handkerchief. Take it. As for you,
we ought not, perhaps, to be so leni-
ent; but in consideration of your
youth and of the high position you
hold in Your country, we will over
look your fault. You are forgiven.
Outside the gate gondola waits for
you it will take you to Mestre, and
thence you viii be conveyed to the
frontier Col But remember always
what YOU have seen tonight"
Selling with a trembling band the
lace handkerchief that had been the
cause of so much trouble, Sir John
wanted to speak, wanted to thank
this unknown Judge; but before he
could recover his voice the phantoms
had disappeared, and two jailors only
were by his side. Without a word,
and apparently without an effort,
these two men opened a secret door
leading to the canal, and helped the
now liberated man into gondola
that was moored to the steps, and in
the fore part ofwhich lay his luggage.
No word was said, no order was
given; the two gondoliers seemed to
know their duty, and they silently
padded away from the palace in
which Sir John had spent that
dreadful night At Mestre coach
was waiting for him. In a few hours
the frontier was crossed. Then only
did he begin to breathe freely. But
for a long time afterward he avoided
any allusion to his Venetian adven-
ture; and for many years he could
not bear to speak oft.
Now the Serinissima is gone, the
cells have been sacked by an infuria-
ted mob, and innumerable tourists
visit the hall where the Secret Coun-
ell held its nightly sittings; but even
now i cannot help feeling relieved
when | have left behind me Venice,
its dark canals and the darker MEM
ories that cling to them.