Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-04-08

scribes as motionless as if they had beer
statues, and not human beings. The frs
glimpses of dawn struggling through tn.
painted windows, powerless as yet tt
supersede the wax candles, gave to the
whole scene the most weird aspect. Out
side, all was sleeping and no sound
reached the inmates OF this hall to remind
them that a powerful city, numerous
population, surrounded their silent abode
| As soon as the several actors in this
strange scene had reached their proper
| places, man still masked, and dressed in
the same dark hue, began in monotonous
slow tone to give his evidence Though
mutiled by the folds of his mask, his voice
was peculiarly distinct and clear, and Sir
John at once knew it as being the same he
| had heard when he was arrested. Cold
and pitiless as steel, without tremor and
without pause, the voice repeated all the
words used by the culprit when. in his
rash burst of passion, he had derided and
Knocked the knowledge and the power OF
the Serenissima. Slowly and regularly the
words followed each other as the links of a
heightened chain, as steadily as the drops
of rain on winters day. The pens of the
scribes, creaking as they hurried over the
paper, made fit accompaniment to his re-
citai. Except for them, all was as motion.
less, as still, as if no human hearts were
beating under those black silk NANTES. It
ended at last, and, with a sense of relief
Sir John strained his senses to see, to hear
what would follow.
After a short pause, the Judge, who sat
fhs.o ,kar ,f ~. = |, :
dressed him in these terms "You have
heard the evidence against you; now fol-
low US and hear your sentence"
No cross. examination, no defense was
allowed by the laws of this council. Rs-
ing together as moved by single mind,
the funeral procession 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 narrow steps, silently and
noiselessly they glided like ghosts return
ing 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 build
ing, and were nearing again the loathson.e
cell from which he had so lately been taken,
the cortege divided, and Sir John was
brought face to face with the senior Judge
g You have insulted the Serenissima
you have denied its power Of Furnishing
crime, because you have been robbed of a
paltry handkerchief, and it had not been
Immediately found aud given back to you.
Now, look - As he said these last words
the masked Judge stepped on one side and
directed Sir Johns gaze to dark corner
of the dark passage. There, hanging
against the wall, the rope that encircled
his neck disappearing Through the stone,
was the corpse of man.
Entranced by this sight, and thinking
that perhaps he also was going to be hanged
in the same manner by an unseen hand,
Sir John felt rooted to the spot
After short silence the Judge contin-
ued "This man was the thief in his
right hand you will find your handkerchief.
Take It, As for you, we ought not per-
haps to be so lenient; bat il consideration
of your youth and of the high position you
hold In your country, we will overlook
your fault. You are forgiven. Outside
this gate gondola awaits for you; it will
take you to Mestre, and thence you will
be conveyed to the frontier. Go But
remember always what you have seen to-
night"
Selling with trembling hand the lace
handkerchief that had been the cause of
so much trouble, Sir ohn wanted to speak,
wanted to thank his unknown Judge; but
before he could recover his voice the phan-
toms had disappeared and two jailers only
were by his side. Without word, and
apparently without an effort, these two
men opened secret door leading to the
canal, and helped the now liberated man
into gondola that was moored to the
steps, and in the forepart of which 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 few
hours the frontier WAS crossed. Then did
he only begin to breathe freely. But for
long time afterward he avoided an allusion
to his Venetian adventure, and for many
years be could not bear TO speak of it.
Now the Serenissirna is gone, the cells
have been sacked by an Infatuated mob,
and innumerable tourists visit the hall
where the Secret Council held its nightly
sittings but even now cannot help feeling
relieved when | have left behind me Venice,
its dark canals and the darker memories
that cling to them Chambers Journal