The Washington times., 1895-03-03


left, and rushed into the vault, for his
| breath failed and there was no chance foI
has life We're he overtaken in the open, and
before the men regained their feet he pulled
| the door OF the vault close and sank on his
| knees inside, painting, and holding his
sword in readiness to slay any who entered.
Then the syndic and his company came and
called on him TO surrender. And Antonio
! cried, Come and take me-" Then the
syndic bade the workmen pun open the
! door. but Antonio held il with one hand
against them both. Yet at last they drew
1 il open little, and Antonio lunged with
| hissword through the aperture and wounded
the syndic in the leg, SO that he stumbled
backward with an oath. And after that
none was willing 10 enter first, until the
! grizzly haired fellow came up, and he, see
! ing the aperture, rushed at il, sword in
! hand, fearing 10 man, not even Count An
| tonic. Bat he could not touch Antonio and
! he also fell back with sore cash in his
cheek And Antonio laughed, saying
shall l surrender, syndic?"
Now the syBdic was very urgent in his de-
sire 10 take Antonio. but his men shook
their heads, and he himsel could not stand
because OF the sword thrust in his leg, and
instead of fighting his company began to
| tell of the wonderful deeds Antonio had
done; and they grew no b3lder by this And
the grizzly haired fellow Knocked them,
saying that he would go again at the aper-
ture 1.-two more would attempt ii with him:
but none Offered. And the syndic ragged
and rebuked them; but he could not hurt
them, being unable to stand on his feet, SO
that one said boldly why should we die?
The dukes commissaries Will be here to-
morrow with company Of the guard Let
the count stay in the vault till then. He
is Unsafe keeping, and when he sees the guard
he VIII surrender. II is likely enough that
a great lord like the count would rather
die than give up his sword To the syndic.
Whereat the syndic was very nl-pleaSed
bat all the rest mighty pleased, and, having
heard this counsel, they could by no means
b. persuaded TO attack again, and they let
Antonio draw the door close again, being
in truth glad TO zee the last of his sword.
Therefore the syndic, having 10 choice, set
twenty TO guard the entrance of the vault,
and prepared to depart. But he cried to
Antonio, bidding him again TO surrender,
for the guard would come tomorrow, and
then at least he could not hope to resist.
Aye, but tomorrow is tomorrow, Mas
ter Syndic," laughed Antonio. 'Go get
your leg dressed, and leave tomorrow TIL
ii dawn
So the syndc went home and the rest with
him, leaving the twenty on guard. And TO
this day il q man has more love for fighting
than skill in it, folk call him syndic OF
Baratesta.
Count Antonio, being thus left in the
vault, and perceiving that he would
not be further molested that day, looked
round, and though no daylight reached
the vault he could see, for the workmen had
set a lamp there, and it still burned. And
around him were the coffins OF all the
Peschelti who had died in 500 years, and
the air was heavy and sitting. And he
took the lamp and walked round the vault,
which was ofcircular form and he preceived
one coffin standing upright against the wall
Of the vault, as though there had been no
room for il on the shelves. Then he sat
down again, and being weary, leaned his
head against the wall and soon slept; for
a man whose Conscience is easy and whose
head has sense in IL may sleep as well in a
vault as in bed chamber Yet the air of
the vault oppressed him and he slept but
lightly and uneasily. And if proof be
needed how legends gather around the
count s name, | have heard many wonderful
stories ofwhat happened to him in the vault,
how he held converse with dead Peschelu,
how they told him things that is not given
10 men 10 know, and how a certain beauti-
ful lady. who had been dead 200 years, hav-
ing been slain by her husband in a Jealous
rage, came forth from her coffin with her
hair all disheveled and great wound yet
bleeding in her bosom, and sang a low,
sweet, wild love song TO him as he lay, and
would not leave him, though he bade her
soul rest in the name of Christ and the
saints. But that any of these things hap
pened ! do not believe.
1t was late when the count awoke and the
lamp had burned out, so that the vault was
utterly dark Ard as the count reused him.
self sound strange in the place fell on his
ear, for a man talked, and his talk was not
such as one uses who speaks his own mus
ings aloud 10 himself when he is alone "a
trick men come by who live solitary, but
he seemed TO question others and to answer
a
''alas. sweet friend" and so forth, all in
a low, even voice, and now and again he
would sigh, and once he laughed bitterly.
Then the count raised his voice, saying;
who is there?" and the other voice an
swered: which of you speaks? The tones
are not known TO me. Yet / know all the
Peschelti who are here And Antonio
answered: Il am not of the Peschelti
save by my mother; my name is Antonio of
Monte Velluto." And on this a cry came
from the darkness of a man greatly troubled
and alarmed, and after that there was
silence for a space And Antonio said:
There is naught TO fear. l seek to save
myself, not TO hurt another. But how do
you, a living man, come to be in this vault,
and with whom do you speak,"
Then came the sound OF steel striking
on a flint, and presently spark and
torch was lighted, and Antonio be-
held before him in the glow of the torch
the figure of man who crouched on the
floor of the vault over against him; his
hair was long and tangled, his beard
grew to his waist, and he was naked
save for a cloth about his loins, and his
eyes cleaned dark and wild as he gazed
on Antonio In seeming fright and be-
wilderment. Then the count, know ing
that man collects his thoughts while
another speaks, told the man who he was
and how he came there and, because the
M cffI hnrr hot
he was an outlaw these three years and more
because he would not bow to the dukes
viii. and when he had told all he ceased.
Then the man came crawling closer to
him, and, holding the torch to his face,
scanned his face, saying: 'Surely, he is
alive" And again he was silent, but
after awhile he spoke.
For twenty and three years." he said,
81 have dwclt here among the dead, and
to the dead talk and they are my friends
and companions. For hear their voices
and they move out to greet me; yet how
they are silent and still because you are
here
but how can you live here?' cried An
tonic. For you must starve for lack of
food and come near to suffocation in the air
of this vault
The man set his hand to his brow and
frowned and said sadly:
Indeed, ] have forgotten much, yet l
remember q certain night when the devil
came into me, andin blackfury and jealously
I lay wait by the door OF the room where my
wife was, and we had been welded but
few months. There was man who was my
friend, and he came TO my wife secretly,
seeking TO warn her that j was suspected
OF treason to the prince; yes, in all things
he was my friend, for when / stabbed him
as he came to the door, and, rushing in,
stabbed her also, she did not die till she
had told me all; and then she smiled
sweetly at me, saying: Our friend
viii forgive, dear husband, for you did not
know; and / forgive the blow your love