Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-08-28
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ITO visit the dungeons
The dungeonsf" My lady's face
changed.
And incidentally inspect their lat
est guest! Some Of you heard OF him
when we were here before--Le Seign
eur Nolr--the Black Seigneur!"
lie Seigneur Noirl" They clapped
their hands. Yes. let us see him!
Nothing could be better. What do
you say, Elise?"
She started to speak, but for the
instant her lips could frame no an.
swer; with faint, strained smile, CON
pated her reply.
Did she not leave 1t to usf It is
we who decide"
And merry party they swept
along, bearing her with them; up the
broad stairway, cold, gray In the
morn; beneath the abbot's bridge
black, spying span!-to the church.
and thence to the isolated space be-
fore the guard-house to the dungeons
Here. at the sound of their voices. a
man, carrying a bunch of keys--but
outwardly the antithesis TO the hunch-
back-peered from the entrance.
UNLESS ! am mistaken. the new
jailer!" With a wave of his hand,
the Marquis indicated this person.
The commandant was telling me his
Exoellency had engaged one-from BIZ
oetre, or Fort lEveque, I believed"
'Bicetre. my lord!" said the man
gravely. And before that. the Bias
tile"
"Ah!" laughed the nobleman. "That
pretty place some of the foolish
people are grumbling about! AS 81
we could do without prisons any more
than without palaces! But We have
come, my good fellow, to inspect this
lower world of yours!"
The mans glance passed over the
paper the Marquis handed him; then
silently he moved aside. and unlocked
the iron doors.
Are you not coming?" At the
threshold the Marquis looked back
When first they had approached the
guard-house. involuRtarily had the
Governors daughter drawn aside to
the ramparts; now, with face half
averted, stood gazing off.
"Coming?" Surprised. the Marquis
noted her expression; the fixed
brightness of her eyes and her parted
lips. "Oh, yes!" And turning abrupt
ly, she fastened past him
Would they have to be locked in?-
the half-apprehensive query of one of
the ladies caused the jailer at first
to hesitate and then to answer In the
negative. He would leave the doors
from the outer room open. and him
self await there the visitors return
With which reassuring promise. he
distributed lights; called guards
man, familiar with the intricate I'M
derground passages, and consigned
them to his care.
One Of the gay procession, the Lady
Elise stepped slowly forward; the
| guide proved a talkative fellow, and
seemed anxious to answer their many
| inquiries concerning the place The
sale de la question? Yes. II existed:
but the ancient torture devices for the
'interrogatory ordinary" and the "in-
| terrogatory extraordinary" were no
| longer pressed into service; the King
had ordered them relegated to the
shelves of the museum. The caba-
mons, or black holes? Louis N. built
them; the carceres duri and wade In
pace, however. dated from Saint Mau.
ritius, fourth abbot of the Mount.
And the Black Seigneur? How have
you Accommodated him?"
in the petit exil; just to the left !
We are going there now"
lam going back" A hand
touched the arm of the Marquis, last
of the file Of visitors, and, lifting his
candle, he held II so that the yellow
glimmer played on the face OF the
Governors daughter. Her eyes looked
deeper; full of dread. as If the very
spirit of the subterranean abode haC
seized her. He started.
Surely you, Elise. are not afraid ?
II prefer the sunlight" she sale
hurriedly in low tone. Tit is no
cheerful down here! No; do not cal
the guide-or let the others know. II
return alone, and-wait for you at tn,
guard-house."
| ITO pE CpNJrTNyrrun,