The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-12

always With aGectation and display; gener
ally with good effect But this tale, told ii
q hieh key IN the midst OF so great tumulL
and bv a narrator who was one moment lOo.
inc down at me from the skies and the next
peering up from under the soies OF my feet
this particular tale, say, took hold upon ne
In a degree quite singular.
"Ny friend thu count" 10 was thus that he
hcean his story. "had for an enemy certain
German baron, % stranger in Rome 10 mot
tcrs not what was the ground Of the count
enmitv: but as he had q firm design 20 be re-
venged, aud that with safety TO himself DO
kept 10 secret even from the baron. Indeed,
that Is the first principle Of vengeance, and
hatred betrayed Is hatred impotent. The
count was q man of n curious, searching mind.
He had something Of the artist. II anything
| fan Tor him 10 do 10 must always be done
with m exact perfection, not only as TO the
result out in the very means and instruments,
or he thought the thing miscarried It
Glanced he was one day riding IN the outer
suburbs. when be came TO a disused by rood
/ branching OH into the moor which lies about
/ Rome On the one hand was an ancient
/ Roman tomb, on the other, deserted house
| In "a garden u evergreen trees. This road
brought MN presently INTO q Held OF RUNS,
/ ia the midst Of which, in the side Of a hill, he
saw an open door and mot far OF a s.uele
/ stunted pine no greater than q currant bush.
'The place was desert and very secret
voice spoke in the counts bosom that there
was something here 20 his advantage. lie
/ tied his horse TO the pine tree took bis flint
and steel in his hand % make a light and en-
tered into the hill Tho doorway opened ON
passage Of old Roman masonry, which
shortly after branched in two The count
took the turning 20 the right and followed &C.,
croping forward I'm the dark till he was
brought up by a kind Of fence, about elbow
hiah. which extended quite across the passage
Sounding forward with his foot, he found an
edge Of polished stone, and then vacancy
An his curiosity was now awakened. and,
getting some rotten sticks that lay about tho
floor. me made fire. I'm front Of him was
profound well, doubtless some neighborine
peasant had once used DO for his water, and 10
was he that had set up the fence. a long
while the count stood leaning on the rail and
looking down into the pit
1T was Of Roman foundation and, like all
that nation set their hands 20, built as for
eternity the sides were still straight and tie
Joints smooth, TO a man who should fall in.
no escape was possible. Now the count was
thinking, "a strong impulsion brought me TO
this place. what fort what have | gaincdi
why should ! be sent TO gaze into this wellf
when the rail of tho fence suddenly gave
way under his weight, and he came within
an ace of falling headiong in. Leaping back
to save himself, be trod ont the last flicker of
bis fire, which gave him thenceforward no
more light, only an incomm0ding smoke.
WAS ] sent hero 10 my deathf says be, and
shook from head 20 foot And then thought
flashed i'm bis mind. lie crept forth.on hands
and knees 10 the brink Of the pit and felt
above him in the air The rail had been fast
- a pair Of uprights; 10 had only broken
from the one, and still depended from tie
other The count set IL back again as he had
found it, so that the place meant death to the
first conner, and groped out Of the catacomb
Ike a sick man.
"The next DAY, riding in the Corso withthe
baron, he purposcly betrayed astrong preos
cupation. The other GAS be had designed in
ouired into tho cause; and he after some
fencine admitted that his spirits had been
dashed by an unusual dream. This was cal
culated TO draw on the baron-asuperstiti
man who affected the scorn Of superstition
Some rallying followed, and then the count
as IL suddenly carried away called on his
friend 10 beware, for it was of him that be-
had dreamed You know enough Of human
nature, my excellent Mackoar. 10 be certain
Of enc thing. mean, that the baron did not
rest till he had beard tine dream. The count
lsuro that be would never dosisil kept him n
play till his curiosity was highly infamel
and then suffered himself with seeming re-
luctanco 90 be Oycrborne. u warn you, says
be, EVIL VIII come Of &c something tells me
So But since there is 20 be no peace either
for you or me except on this condition, the
blame be on yom own head. This was The
dream. ! bcheld you riding, / know not
where, yet / think it must have been near
Rome. for Ola your one hand was an ancient
tomb and on the other "a garden Of evergreen
trees. Mctloueht / cried and cried upon you
90 come back in a very agony Of terror
whether you heard me, / know not
bat you went dosgedly on The road
brought sou 10 q desert place anon.
ruins; where was a door in a hillside,
and hard by the door q misbegotten pine
Here you dismountod still crying on you
TO hewmel, tied your horse % the pine tree
and entered resoluicly in by thodoor. Within
ir was dark; but 10 luy dream / could still see
y0u and still bc,0usht You to hold back
lou felt your way along the right band wall.
tooa a branching passage 10 the right. and
came 90 little chamber. where was well
with a railing. At this Il know not why
nay alarm for you increased a thousand oid
So chat / seemed % scream myself hoai nitl
warnings, crying it Was still time and bid
ding YOU boconc 90 once from that vestibule
Such was the word / used In my dream, and
10 seemed then 10 hgve q clear slguihcancy
tut today and awake. I profess knos not
what 10 means. To an my cutlery you rem
dered not tho least attention, leaning the
while upon the rail- and looking down ii
tently In tho water. And then there wa.
made 10 son O communication, l DO not think !
/ even gathered what 10 was, but the feal
OF 10 piucAcl me clean out OF my sum
ber, aud awoke shaking and sob /
bling. And n0w,' continues the count /
j thank you from ms heart for your insi- /
tency. This dream lay on me like load |
and now i have told it in plain words and il /
the broad daylight, il seems no great matter /
i do not know, SAYS the baron. III is in /
some points strange - communication, did /
you sayi Oh, it is on odd dream 10 viii
make a story TO amuse our friends am /
not SO sure, says the count 4 ann sensible /
Of some reiuctancy. let us rather forget &c. /
by all MEANS says tAe baron And dn fact /
tie dream was not again referred TO- Soine /
days after, the count proposed q ride In the 7.
fields, which the baron since they were daily /
growing faster friends very retdiiy accepted /
On the way back 20 Rome, thecount led them /
insenably by a particular route. Presently /
be refined in his horse, clappei his hand /
before his eyes, and cried or, aloud. Then |
he showed bis face again (which was
now quite white, for he was a con
summato actor ami stared upon the baron
What ails your cries the baron What is
wrong with youf Nothing, cries the count
10 is nothing. seizure know not what
Let us hurry back % Rome But in the
meanwhile the baron had ioosel about bin.
aad there, on the left hand side o: the way as
they went back 70 Rome. be- saw a dusty by
road wlh tomb upon the ono hand aud
garden OF evergreen trees upon the other
YES. says be. with a changed voice, let rs
By an means hurry back % Rome. | fear