The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-07-29
CHe Cor(are Of &c
&c the mIrror.
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G EEING," said the Inquisitor at
y the head of the table, that thou
art stiIl obdurate and refusest to return
mercy holds out to thee, we deem it
meet that thou shOuldest dwell with
myself for d space. SO mayest thou alb
hor thyseH in dust and ashes, and az
length find the repentance which work
eth salvatiOn.'
| did not understand his words; but
indeed | had understood little Of the
hole proceedings. | only gathered
that the throes of the rack had Wrested
my name from some sufferers lips in
the hope of obtaining a mitigation of
his torture. | had been seized one day
in the streets of Madrid and borne
Straight to the dungeons of the In
QUESTION. There l had lain for weeks,
till even the summons to trial had been
nailed as a welcome relief from I'M
bearable suspense.
| was now conducted to cell sim
liar to that from which | had been
taken. 1t was about - feet square and
was lighted by a small window up in
one corner. There was also a bed,
though it was but seldom within these
walls that sleep meant rest.
knew better than to make inquiries
of the masked gaoler who led me to
my new dungeon. | had tried it at
first, but without avail. The warders
of the Inquisition did not speak. They
Il = ~ 81,
So the door was shut on me and | was
left alone, to suffer 1 knew not what
''Dwell with thyself for a space" What.
after all, did the words mean but the
solitary confinement which had been
my lot for weeks past? 1t was the aft
ernoon when l was examined, and as
evening wore on without a sign my APP
prehensions began to die down; | fell
asleep, almost treasured.
| awoke in the dark of the early morn
ing with sudden thrill of horror As
strained my eyes in the gloom | saw
that some change had taken place dur
ing the night. Right opposite my bed
was a glimmer which had not been
there before. The other walls were
mystic with strange shadows
As I lay wondering there was a click
overhead and darkness became com
plete. | looked up and saw that the
window had been obscured I waited
for hours, but the dawn did not pene-
trate my room. Suddenly came a flash
overhead. a hand had appeared at an
opening in the middle of the roof and
had then drawn back again, leaving a
lighted lamp hanging; and was at last
able to see.
To see what? My first sensation was
an ecstasy of terror. | turned dizzy.
for I seemed to be standing unsup-
ported amid wild. Kaleidoscope jun
BILE of things. Weird faces peered at
me from every corner. Fantastic lights
danced wherever my eyes rested. My
cell seemed widened to a hdeOus i'm
mensity, in which there was no foot
hold or stability.
1t was some time before I could
grasp what had happened. During the
night the walls, roof and floor of my
cell had been changed for mirrors of the
same size. Even the places where the
door and the window had been were
now glass.
The face which stared at me from so
directions at once was mine. So long
a time had elapsed since | had seen it
that it had almost passed out of my
recollection. The face with which I
was to dwell was wild and terrible to
look at. 1t had a beard, and the eyes
had changed so much that | wondered
how much they might change during
the time they were to watch me.
1t was not for some hours that had
the courage really to look, for the
frightfulness of the sight is not to be
conceived. Whether | looked to the
right or left, up or down, there | saw
myself in a hundred fantastic attitudes.
There were front views, back views,
side views. Here | was standing on my
head; there ] was seen in perspective
from above. Halves and fragments of
me, cut off by corners of the mirrors.
were to be seen wherever my eye rest
ed
| was afraid to stir, SC terrible was
The commotion which my slightest
movement caused among the phantoms
In the mirrors. If | raised my arm.
the gesture seemed to be travestied
through all space under the light of a
million reflected lamps.
L tried to keep my eyes shut, but the