Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-10-21

| ~N the matter was that the sword
1V had run through the canvas
up to the hilt. where it re-
mained as If it had pierced some rea-
sonably solid body. Ippolita turned and
looked at me with wondering and
somewhat frightened expression.
Then came to her aid and. seizing
my sword. drew it out. though not
without some trouble. and the blade
came forth with a sort Of whiStling,
sighing sound, and 1t was Of crimson
hue. and at that moment l heard a
thud, as If some soft and heavy body
had fallen. Then Ippolita. handing me
the sharp dagger which she carried IN
her bosom. l cut the canvas Of the por-
trait completely out of its frame.
And we saw. to our immense sur
prise that the old portrait had covered
up a doorway leading to dark and
narrow passage. The door of this pas
sage was now open. and across the Sill
lay the yet warm body Of fat rascal.
into whose paunch Ippollta had stuck
my sword as she might have stuck
Din into a pincushion. The fellow wore
white cap and white. greasy apron.
and came at once to the conclusion
that he was my fathers cook, that he
had been in league with the band Of
robbers and that my dear fiancee had
spitted him in the moment when he
was spying at US through the narrow
slits which. I now found, had been
made In the eyes Of Michelozzo.
Taking lighted taper and kicking
the corpse to one side, l now. followed
by Ippolita, commenced to explore this
secret and mysterious passugeway.
After we had walked perhaps seventy
feet we came to chamber about
twelve feet square. and here 1t seemed
to end. On our way along the corridor
my charming companion had found
and picked up handkerchief. and aft
er examining It minutely she now cried
out:
by ali the martyrs and Messer San
Nicolo into the bargain. this Is nuught
other than the handkerchief Of Pico
Albizzi. my beloved cousin and the
brother of FEDERICO. 1t is now the half
of year past that he did come to this,
the Pazzi castle. to summon thy sire
Arnolfo to the presence Of the duke.
nv father. Days passed. and he return
ed not. and it was a week afterward
that peasant passing by the Arno. by
which name. as thou knowest, Is some
times called the turbulent stream
which fioweth through the town. found
upon the banks Of it some way below
the city his llfeless corpse. Santissima
ergine, he hath, like Ser Ridolfo. been
thrown into the Pazzi we'll, and this
passage. this very room. did conduct
| him to It,"
But fair lady," said. If that Is
80, how came he to be found upon the
Amos banks"
"And was not Ser Ridolfo's body also
found thereT" she answered, with some
disdain. "May there not well be from
this black bottomless we'll of thy castle
q sluiceway leading to that neighbor-
ing stream?"
/ now examined the chamber into
which we had come and found In the
middle of the floor great crack which
reached from wall to wall. and | made
up my mind that we were standing di-
rectly over the watery tomb which
had proved so convenient in the cases
Of Messers Ridolfo and Pico. 1t SEEM
ed to me altogether likely that the floor
Of the room. having the great crack IN
the middle of it. was made In two
| halves and that these two halves could
be let down like lids whenever any one
should touch the lever or spring which
| opened them. Coming 20 this conclu.
sion, ct once led Ippolita out of that
| insidious deathtrap, and we com
menced to search along the walls OF the
pasageway tor the MECHANISM by
which it could be made to operate. Il
soon found an iron lever or handle In
| the corner Immediately outside the
room, and l took hold Of 1t and pulled.
| and at once the two halves Of the floor
| went down as though they were hinged
| to the walls, and in the place Of the
floor we saw nothing but black, fright
full. impenetrable water.
l now dragged the dead body Of the
cook to the well and threw 1t in. He
came to the surface and hoated there
upon his back, and as his great fishlike
| eyes were wide open he presented a
spectacle which was anything but
agreeable. This water now all at once
seemed to sink and recede. Then there
came up u great sucking, gurgling
noise, and we looked down and saw
that it had all gone out Of the bottom,
| taking the cook with 1t. In moment
| the water commenced to come up
again. We could not see 1t ut first.
away down between the black shining
rocks, mounting little by little; then 1t
seemed to rise faster, and in Eve min
utes 1t was up to the level where we
had first seen 1t. now worked the
lever the other way. and the two halves
of the floor came up and met, and the
chamber was exactly as 1t was when
we had first entered 1t.
At this moment we heard loud
knocking at the great street door OF
the palace. 1t instantly occurred to me
that 1t was made by Ippolita's people,
who had found her whereabouts and
come for her, and Immediately set
/ In
time before I could find the key, and
meanwhile they kept at 1t hammer and
tongs, so that I was glad at length to
be able to unlock the door and to stop
their Internal din. But, 10 and behold.
when l finally opened 1t, instead OF
Ippolita's people. there crowded In, In
less time than 1t takes to tell 1t, q score