The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-04

day by day to so appalling q death,
unsupported by the consola tions Of re-
ligion. unvisited by any human being,
abandoned TO himself, deserted of all,
and denied even the sad privilege of
knowing that his cruel destiny would
awaken pity! Alone he was to pcrish!---
alone he was to wait slowcoming
torture. whose most exquisite pangs
would be inflicted by that very solitude
and that tardy coming
at is not death fear" he exclaimed,
'but the death l must prepare for.
Mcthinlis, too. | could meet even that
all horrible and revolving as it is-if
it might overtalle me now. But where
shall | find fortitudc to tarry till it
comes? How can l outlivc the three
long days and nights l have to live?
There is no power within me to bid the
hidcous spectre hcnce-none to make it
familiar to my thoughts, Or myself pa
tient of its GRAND My thoughts,
rather, will flee from me. and | grow
mad in looking at it. Oh! for deep
sleep To fall upon mel That so, in
deaths likeness, l might embrace
death itself and drink no more of the
cup that is presented to me than my
fainting spirit has already tasted"
In the midst of these lamentations,
Nivenzio noticed that his accustomed
meal. with the pitcher of water, had
been conveyed, as before into his dun
geon. But this circumstance no longer
excited his surprise. His mind was
overwhelmed by others of far greater
magnitude. 1t suggested. however Il
feeble hope of dcliverance; and there is
no hope so feeble as not to yield some
support to 4 heart bending under
despair. He resolved to watch, during
the ensuing night, for the signs he had
before observcd; and should he again
feel the gentle trcmulous motion of the
floor, or the current of air, to seize that
moment for giving audible expression
to his misery. Some person must be
near him, and within reach OF his
voice. at the instant when his food was
bic of pity. Or, if not, to be told even
that his approximations were just. and
that his fate was to be what he fore
BODIED, would be prefera BILE to sus-
pcnse which hung upon the possibility
of his worst fears being visionary.
The night came: and as the hour APP
preached when Nivenzio imagined he
might expect the signs, he stood fixed
and silent as a statue. He feared to
breathe, almost, lest he might lose any
sound which would warn him of their
coming. While thus listening. with
every faculty of mind and body strained
to an agony of attention, it occurred to
him he should be more sensible of the
motion, probably, if he stretched him
self along the iron floor He accord
ingly laid himself softly down. and had
not been long in that position when
yes-he was certain of 1.-THE floor
moved under him. He sprang up, and,
in Il voice nearly suffocatcd with emo
ton, called aloud. tIc pauscd-thc
motion ccascd-he felt 10 stream of
air-all was hushed--no voice answered
to his-hc burst into tears, and as he
sank to the ground, in renewed
anguish, exclaimed: 20 my God. NV
God! Iou alone have power to save me
now. or strengthen me for the trial YOU
permit
Another morning dawned upon the
wretchcd captive and the fatal index of
his doom met his eyes. Two
windows.-and TWO davs-and all
would be over! Fresh food-frcsh
water The mysterious visit had been
paid, though he had implorcd tin vain
But how nwfully was his PRAYER
answered in what he now saw, The
roof of the dungeon was within a foot
of his head. The two ends were .o
near. that in six PAGES he trod the space
between them. Nivenzio shuddcrrd ms
he gazcd. and us his steps travrrsed the
narrowed area. Eu, his feelings no
longer vented themselves in frantic
wailings. With folded arms, and
clenched teeth, with eyes that were
bloOdshot from watching, and fixed
with vacant glare upon the ground.
with hard quick breathing, and a
hurried walk, he strobe backward and
forward in silent musing for several
hours What mind shall conceive. what
tongue utter. or what pen describe the
dark and terrible character OF his
thoughts? Like the fate that moulded
them, they had no smilitude in the
wide range of this worlds agony for
mau. Suddenly he stopped, and his
eyes were riveted upon that part of the
wall which was over his bed. Words
are inscribed there. y human language
traced by human hand lie rushes
toward them; but his blood freezes as
he reads:
Il, l-udovico Sforza, tempted bv the
gold of the prince of To!fi, spent three
years in contriving and executing this
accursed triumph of my art. When
it was completed, the perfdious Tolfi.
more devil than man, who conducted
me hither one morning to be- WITNESS
as he said, of its perfection. doomed ME
TO. be the first victim of my own per-
nicious skill: lest, as he declared.
should divrllgc the secret, or repeat the
effort of my ingenuity. Nav God par.