Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-07-31
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OF MOSCOW,
CHAPTER XIV.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE DUKES BAT

Ruric Nerel could keep no ac-
count of time. Darkness, and dark
ness only, dwelt with him in his pris-
on house-darkness so utter that
the only effect of opening the eyes
was the nervous reality of the mo-
ton. In fact, twas lighter with
the eyes closed than with them
opened, for when tightly closed
there were peculiar fantastic shapes
floating in the imagination, and
even this was relief. And then
there was sort of kaleidoscope
succession of colors when the lids
were tightly pressed that seemed
grateful to the nerves and gave vari-
ETY. to the mind. But when the
eyes were open only cold, impene-
trable blacsness was present, within
which there were no shapes, no
forms, save the one form of utter
chaos.
Ruric felt sure he had been there
four days, and at times it appeared
longer than that. Food and drink
had been brought to him thrice, and
he was now without both. His
strength had not yet left him,
though there were pains in his limbs
and chilling sensation about the
heart. He had broken the rope
from his arms on the first day of his
confinement, and he had hoped to
overcome the man who brought him
food and drink and thus make his
escape, but no human being had yet
come in to him. His food had been
passed in through small wicket.
"And this is the end of life!' he
murmured to himself as he paced
slowly to and fro across the dun
geon. "Thus ends all the hopes of
youth, and here the prayers of life
time must close in one last hope
one hope of heaven when earth has
passed away! My mother, no fare
well can reach thee from the lips of
thy son. He will lie down in the
dark slumber- of death, and thou
shalt not know his resting place!
And thou, loved one-oh, thou
fondly cherished, wildly worshiped
being thy smiles can shine no more
for me! Oh, Rosalind, would that |
could see thee but once-that once
more l might press thee to my bos-
ON and bid thee remember me when
I am gone! Had never seen thee |
might not be here now! And yet,
O God, for life itself | would not
wipe away the written story of that
holy love from my hearth
The thought of Rosalind came
heavily upon him. All else he could
give up in a higher hope than that
of earth, but for her he held a
strange fear. She would be anoth-
ers.
"And must it be SOP" he contin-
ued after some minutes of painful
reflection. "Alas, she will be nothing
to me hereafter! My mother will
know her son, but Rosalind will
know another! And yet she may
carry the old love with her always.
She may never forget it. Oh, could
/ but once
He stopped suddenly, for he
heard a football in the low passage
close by the dungeon. He listened,
and he heard more. There we're sew
eral feet, and soon he heard voices.
He moved back to the extremity Of
the vault and listened. The feet
stopped. and the sound of grating
iron, like the drawing of u bolt, was
heard. Soon afterward the door
was opened, and the light from a
lantern flashed into the place. For
a few moments the prisoner was
blind by the sudden transition, but
by degrees he overcame the difficult
ty and was able to look up.
The first object upon which his
eyes fell was the humpbacked priest,
Savotano. There were four others
behind him, but Ruric noticed them
not yet. He saw before him the
man whom he believed to be the in
strument Of his suffering, and with
one bound ne reached him and felled
him to the floor.
"Holdw cried one Of the others,
one who held the lantern. eve
have come to conduct thee out from
here"
ella! Say ye 500"
"Most surely we have"
"Then stand aside and let me CO."
"Just as you say. The doors are
open. and YOU may 60. You may fol-
low us, or YOU may 60 in advance"
"rhen lead on" returned Ruric,
"and | will follow"
GAS you say"
Thus speaking, the man assisted
the priest TO his feet and led him
out from the cell. In a few mo-
ments more the others went out al
so, and Ruric prepared to follow.
He heard the priest cursing, but he
noticed that one of the others led
him off. The youth stepped forth
into the passage, but he did not
place the fullest confidence in what
he had heard. He reached the foot