Page:Iron shroud, or, Italian revenge (2).pdf/6

 before his eyes the tremendous future. The contrast overpowered him. He remained for same time lamenting, like a truth, the bright visions that had vanished; and recoiling from the present, which clang to him as a poisoned garment.

When he grew more calm, he surveyed his gloomy dungeon. Alas! the stronger light of day only served to confirm what the gloomy indistictness of the preceeding evening had partially disclosed, the utter impossibility of escape. As, however, his eyes wandered round and round, and from place to place, he noticed two circumstances which exited his surprise and curiosity. The one, he thought might he fancy; but the other, was positive. His pitcher of water, and the dish which contained his food, had been removed from his side while he slept, and now stood near the door. Were he even inclined to doubt this, by supposing he had mistaken the spot where he saw them over night, he could not, for the pitcher now in his dungeon was neither of the same form nor colour as the other, while the food was changed for some other of better quality. He had been visited therefore during the night. But how had the person obtained entrance? Could he have slept so soundly, that the unlocking and opening of those ponderous portals were affected without waking him? He would have said this was in doing so, he must