HEARTH-A TA

his release were so many and so unceasing that the gre

prisoner; but the exception proves the rule, and there was an exception made in favour of a lady who cam

o the cell which Mathi

ly?

rd had

had he g

had he

e prison had the

d and gaped like

hias?" demand

ed the gaoler, rubbing his eyes as thou

mistaken

ot

been r

N

e for a moment or two, and then sh

e has beaten your vigilance-baffled you all in spit

scratched

us

ur walls. There is the bedstead; you can see under it. There is not room for

ed the gaoler,

t th

; he must have escaped

; "don't you see that is t

way to climb u

rs are all in th

horoughly puzzled, "true.

simple

w s

ow. He has walked out throug

ev

han that, and I rejo

ed to t

held her back

to report this to the governor, and you had be

uld divine his intention, he swu

in the door, he added a few

can manage to get out as Mathias did. But the

e the light," she

" was all the an

ap was

ft a prisoner, i

*

asant in darkness, and this wom

han a painful sensation of

governor will set me at liberty as soon as he knows. Could any thing be more unfortunate? Mathias was a prisoner, and

grew oppre

ilence for five minutes together-five m

that she could hear the very beating

nd the bed, and approaching the fireplac

something dripping on th

reigning, the faintest sound c

ntently, asking herse

drip

s str

there, she had no

n, that was only to

it f

o

s too

s no mis

strange sounds or strange fancies in her h

ind

back with the light," she s

and answered, a faint thin streak of light was sh

n whose window was close by the window of this

ll where she stood by the fireplace, and sh

drip

ooked

raining, and the rain is falling down the chimney

across the hearth, and here it w

as I t

hed forth her hand under the chimney, and t

, it sufficed to show her that upon

to her eyes, she e

nd exclaimed in a voi

t was

r of that wretched woman upon

Whose but his-whose but the blo

nerved her, and it was little short of

y with the deathly ho

called up, yet in gentle voice

own! Do you not know

istened eagerl

cry of anguish that chilled the blood in her

answer me for the love of

moan w

ainter even t

f pent-up

old a whole ta

e to me," she

-h-

louder than before, as if the sufferer had p

ll was

training forward to cat

above was st

nd as she stretched forward beneath the c

o longer thrust

drew back, and groped her way

nd she pushed it back with all her forc

d with the energy of des

orities more-His last breath had been drawn as s

the solution o

ds of footsteps were distinctly heard now

and the outlets of the prison were guarded in all directions, whil

is party was the

imes as long to the unhappy

! oh, help!

and when they reached the door of the cell, they found her hangi

t," ejaculated

f a corpse, save where the dark blood stains had settled, there

d one of the men; "she

the gen

committe

, they were spee

d rush into the cell was

allied a little and

matter?" aske

" gasped the

ney! Spea

she said; "see the ch

, and lowering the light they carried, one of th

is something more than

glance convinced the man of skill that the blood upon the woman's face was not her own,

scared, and the governor himself

e retained his p

thrust it as far as his arm could reach

ught!" he

ded the gover

is t

ho

-hopelessly stuck-wedged in. He has bee

ooked up at

" she asked. "Is

aid the surgeon; "we m

very difficult

hat it was sheer madness

d on, and finally got him

ither move

became desperate, and in his wild efforts to free himself from

e want of air had

ther his body, for it was found that life had been extinct, acco

lothes, they made a discovery which

nd in his pocket, upon which was some writing that

an but reach the roof, and have the courage to

ame there was n

ed the efforts of the brigands