The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-28

steps of her pursuers. descended into the depths of the castle and fled along a dark corridor until she found herself in a chamber dimly lighted by some rays which penetrated through rift in the roof, but from which there seemed no egress unless she turned back the way she had come. The place filled her with terror, but the wrathful voice of Man fred, which she heard behind her urging on the search, was more frightful to her than her surroundings. Suddenly she thought she heard sigh. and in the moonlight which came through the broken roof she caught sight of 8 moving fig ure She shrieked aloud, for she thought it was the ghost of her dead betrothed. But 1t was living and lusty youth who stood before her It was. in fact, the young peasant who had been placed by Manfred's order beneath the miraculous helmet The vault in which they stood was partly beneath the courtyard of the castle and the great weight of the hel- met had caused a part of the pavement to break through, forming the aperture through which the moonlight now streamed, and through which the youth had obtained entrance into the sSbter- raneous chamber.
 "Be not alarmed. lady" said the young man; you seem in distress. Ten me how I can assist you" Briefly Isabella told him of her plight and that she was flee ing from the same tyrant who had con- demned him to starve beneath the helmet. The girl was convinced that she was in a part of the subterranean passage which led from the castle to the church, and that she stood in the chamber of which she had heard, 8 chamber which had door opening with e spring of which she knew tho secret into the further part of the passage. "Oh," cried Isabella, "help me to find the trapdoor, which must be hereaboutsr' and she directed the stran- ger to feel along the stone for a smooth piece of brass which, she told him, was a lock which opened with a spring. "If we can find that" said she, we may escape If not I fear that have involved you in my own ruin, for Manfred is close behind us, and will suspect you as the accomplice of my flight" 'I value not my life," returned the peasant, If I can be of assistance to you in escaping from the tyrant."
 Just then a beam of moonlight shining through the broken roof fell directly upon the lock they sought. The trap door was opened and Isabella descended some stairs which appeared below. The youth was about to follow, but accidentally he let the door fall shut again, and before he could open it Manfred and his followers entered tho chamber, which immediately became aglow with the light of their torches Seeing instead of Isabella thS peasant youth whom he had ordered im- prisoned beneath the helmet, Manfred sternly demanded of him how he came there and if Isabella had passed that way. The peasant pointed to the broken roof as an explanation of his mode of entrance into the vault and parried the inquiries of the Prince regarding Isabella until he thought she must have had time to reach the church. Manfred also real ized that if the fleeing girl had passed through the trap door She must be, by l this time, in the church. and, giving or ders for the Imprisonment of the young man in 8 small chamber of tho castle, he sent for Father Jerome, the almoner of the Princess Hippolita and head of 1 the convent attached to the Church of l St. Nicholas. Then, seeking the chamber of his dis 1 tressed wife, he demanded of her if she knew of the whereabouts of Isabella. Both Matilda and her mother were terri
 fled and astonished at the forbidding as- pect and harsh language of the Prince. They could only tell him that Isabella had | left them in obedience to his summons and they knew naught of her movements | after that. Gracious. my lord!" said Hippoita, has Isabella offended you ?" Trouble me not with your questions" |" answered Manfred; you shall soon know
 what mean" The news spread through out the castle that the Lady Isabella had