Page:The Necromancer, or, The Tale of the Black Forest Vol. 1.djvu/68

 "Why," replied he, "we don't talk of it, I would not tell you any thing about it last night, for fear your curiosity might expose you to some misfortune; yet, having promised you yesterday, to tell you as much of it as I know, I will be as good as my word."

After having paused awhile, he began thus in a confidential tone, "Close by our village is a very large building, where formerly the Lord of this village used to reside. One of the former masters of the castle, was a very wicked and irreligious man, who found great delight in tormenting the poor peasants; every body trembled when he appeared: He trampled with his feet upon his own children, confined them in dark dungeons, where they were often kept, for many days, without a morsel of bread. He used to call his tenants dogs, and to treat them as such—in short, he was cruelty itself."