before his eyes the tremendous future. The
contrast overpowered him. He remained for
some time lamenting, like a truth, the bright
visions that had vanished; and recoiling from
the present, which clung 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 be 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
(illegible text) but that in doing so, he must
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