Page:Iron shroud, or, Italian revenge (3).pdf/9

9 be some secret machinery in the walls by which a person could enter. He inspected them closely. They appeared to him one solid and compact mass of iron ; or joined, if joined they were, with such nice art, that no mark of divison was perceptible. Again and again he surveyed them—and the floor—and the roof—and the range of visionary windows, and he was now almost tempted to consider them ; he could discover nothing, absolutely nothing, to relieve his doubts or satisfy his curiosity. Sometimes he fancied that altogether the dungeon had a more contracted appearance—that it looked smaller ; but this he ascribed to fancy, and the impression naturally produced upon his mind by the undeniable disappearance of two of the windows. With intense anxiety, Vivenzio looked forward to the return of night; and as it approached, he resolved that no treacherous sleep should again betray him. Instead of seeking his bed of straw, he continued to walk up and down his dungeon till daylight, straining his eyes in every direction through the darkness, to watch for any appearance that might explain these mysteries. While thus engaged, and as nearly as he could judge, (by the time that afterwards elapsed before the morning came in,) about two o’ clock, there was a slight tremulous motion of the floors. He stooped. The motion lasted nearly a minute ; but it was so extremely gentle, that he almost doubted whether it was real, or only imaginary. He listened. Not a sound could be heard. Presently, however, he felt a rush of cold air blow upon him ; and dashing towards the quarter whence it seemed to proceed, he stumbled over something which he judged to be the water ewer. The rush of cold air was no longer perceptible ; and as Vivenzio stretched out