The Washington times., 1895-02-24

the crest OF the hill.
'.Thank heaven they are so MANY" said
Antonfo, "for now we can fly without
shame" and they set spurs to their horses
and he'd. Aud certain OF the dukes guard
pursued. but only two Or three were So well
mounted as to be able to come near them,
and these two or three. finding that they
would Le man to man. had no liking for the
/ business. anu each called out that his horse
| was foundered; and thus 1t was that none OF
them came up with Count Antonio, but all,
after while returned together TO the city,
carry ng the young Spaniard Coroqua. their
captain. But as they drew near to the gates
| Corouua opened his eyes and murmured some
soft sylIabled name that they could not hear,
and having with failing fingers signed the
cross, turned on his side and died. And they
brought his body TO the great hall OF the
| dukes paia"e.
There in tbs great hall sat Duke Valentine.
His face was pale aud his frown heavy, and
he gazed on the dead body OF The young man
| and spoke no word. Yet he bad loved Coro-
| qua. aud out OF love for him had maize him
captain OF lis guard. And he passed his
hand wearily across his brow, mCrmuring, Il
| cannot think. cannot think" And the Lady
Lucia stood by him, her hand resting on bis
| shoulder and her eyes full OF tears. But at
| last the strange spell which lay on the senses
OF the duke passed away; his eyes again bad
the light OF reason in them. and he listened
| while they told hiln how Antonio had himself
| escaped and had afterward slain Coroqua on
the top of the hill whore Antonio's house had
stood. And the duke was very sorry for
/ Coroqua death; and lie looked round Oh
them all. saying:
He made of me log OF wood and not a
man. For when had drunk and looked in
his eyes it seemed TO me that my eyes were
bound 10 his. and that looked TO him for
command and to know what should do and
that he was my God, and without bis will
N TnfU Wal han fr.h i'm at-aF
as he had seemed TO be 10 me. as we rode
from Baratesra. And even now | am not Tree
from this strange affection, for he seems still
to lie by ne, and if his voice came now bid
ding me to do anything. by ST. Prisian. L
should arise and do it. Send my physician
| to me. And let this young man lie in the
chapel of the blessed virgin in the cathedral,
and Tomorrow he shall be hurled. And when
l am well and this strange affection IS passed
from me and hangs no more like log over
my train then 1 Will exact the price OF his
death from Antonio together with the reck-
onlng OF all else IN respect OF which he stands
IN my debt"
Bit the LAZY Lucia, hearing this, said
| boldly:
'My lord, it is by your deed and through
your devices that this gentleman has met his
death. and the blame OF it is yours, and not
my Lord Antonio s.
And at her bold and angry words Duke
Valentine was reused, and the last of his
languor left him, and he glared ar her in
wrath, crying: Go to your house, and he
rose up suddenly from where he sat and went
into his cabinet, Lorenzo attending him.
And on the day a ter he walked first behind
the bier of Coroqua and his face was very
pa.e. but his air composed, and his manner
as it was wont TO be. For the spell had
passed aud be was his own man again.
But Count Antonio heard with great grief
of the alh of the young man. and was very
sorry that he had been constrained TO kiil
him. and took great blame to himself for seek
iny counsel o the wizard of BaraIesta, thence
had come death to the young man no less
than TO the wizard himself.
Such IS the story OF the drug which the
wizard OF Baratesta gave 10 Duke Valentine
OF Fornioa. To me il seems strange tale,
but yet il is well attested, aud stands on as
strong rock Of testimony IS anything which
/ Is told concerning the count. The truth OF II
l do not understand. and often / ponder of
il. wondering whether the wizard OF Bara-
tesi a. spoke truth, and why the drug which
had no power over Count Antonio bound the
senses and limbs OF tie duke in utter torpor
and help.essness.
And once. when I was thus musing over
the story. there came to my cell monk Of
the abbey of st. PrisIan. who was an old man
and very learned. and / went to walk with
him in the garden. and coming to the tount aiE
we sat down by the basin. and knowing that
his lore WAS wide and deep. set before him
all the story, asking him il be knew of this
strange drug. But he smiled at me. and, tax
ing the cup that lay by the basin of to fount-
ain. he filed it with the clear, sparkling
water, and drank 4 little, and held the cup 10
me. saying:
II think the wizard of Baratesta would
have wrought the spell as well with no other
drug than this"
"You say strange thing" said l.
''And 1 do not MARVEL said he. ''that the
duke had no power over Count Antonio. for
he knew not how to WELD such power. But
neither do l wonder that power lay in Count
Antonio TO bend the mind OF the duke to his
will. l warrant you, Anselm, that the Won
der ul drug was not difficult TO compound. !"
Then | understood what he meant. for be
would have it that the drug was but screen
and preteuce, and that the power lay not in
1t. but in the man that gave it. Yet surely
this is TO explain what Is obscure by a thing
more obscure, and falls thus into fault hated
Of the logicians. For heaven may we'll have
made drng that binds the senses and limits
of men-has not the poppy some such effect?
And the ancienis tabled the like OF the lotus
plant. But can we conceive that one man
should, by the mere glance Of his eye, have
such power over another as 70 become to
him by this means. and no other, a lord and
master? In truth, ! find that hard TO be-
iieve. and | doubt whether man may law
fully believe it. Yet 1 know not. knowledge
spreads. and mon grow wiser IN hidden
things; ami, although l who write may not
live till the time when the thing shall be
made clear. yet il may be Gods will 10 send
such light to the men of later DAYS that. read
ing this story. they may find In it no hing
that il strange or unknown to their science
and skill. l pray that they may use the
knowledge God sends in His holy service,
aud not in the work OF the devil, as did the
wizard OF Baratesa.
But Count Antonio, being by his guile and
ad-oitness, and by that strange power which
he had from the drug or whence know no Z,
delivered out OF the hands of Dnke Valentine,
abode with his company on the hills through
out the cold OF winter. expecting tha day
when he might win the hand o the Lady Luz
cia; and she returned TO her house, and said
nothing of what had befalen he duke. Yet
the duke showed her no tenderness, but
rather used more severity with her. 1t is an
evil service to proud man to aid him in his
day OF humiliation.
To be continued