The Argosy — page 72: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

In the Black Forest. 59 enlightened times, and that Baden is under the rule of the good Grand Duke.” “Vou may say that,” cried the woman. ‘‘A good duke indeed. He might well be called the father of his people.” » “For pity’s sake,” cried another, ‘‘ cease this gossiping, and open the door of the tomb if you can. What on earth would become of us shut up here, without light, or air, or any means of rescue? We should soon be dead.” The woman laughed. “T think,” she said, ‘‘an hour or two’s close confinement would set us free. My good man would miss me at the dinner hour, or rather he would miss the signs of preparation. And though possibly he might be willing to leave me to my fate,” she added, with a humorous grin, ‘‘yet, for the sake of his dinner, he would seek me out. We all know the way to a man’s heart.” “ Donnerwetter !” cried he who had remonstrated before, ‘‘are you going to keep us here suffocating until it is too late? I feel half dead already.” | The woman turned upon him a look of supreme disdain. ‘This room is called the Question Chamber,” she explained in the most tantalizing manner, whilst the door stood yet closed and we in jeopardy. ‘‘ Near by is a dark passage, leading to a trap-door, called the ‘Virgin’s Kiss.‘ It is said that victims were thrown down this trap-door on to the statue of a woman covered with sharp instru- ments, which cut and mangled the poor wretch until he bled to death. Ai! ai! Men at their worst are awful creatures indeed !” With that she carefully inserted her fingers to the side of the stone, and in a few moments the door rolled back, and we were free men and women once more. “T believe,” said I, “that all this time you have merely been playing upon the fears of your audience. You knew well enough that you had the door under control. Confess now.” The woman looked slily up out of the corners of her eyes; she had evidently a turn for jokes and dry humour. ‘““Mein Herr,” she replied, somewhat in the spirit of an oracle, “‘those who travel must expect to see strange sights and encounter singular adventures. I knew you were not very alarmed at our im- prisonment. As for these Germans,” lowering her voice, “a little fright now and then does them no harm and does me good. They ask me all kinds of questions, give me no end of trouble, keep me waiting twice as long as anyone else does, and in the end, for the most part forget that the labourer is worthy of his hire.” There was no greediness in the remark, no delicate attempt at a hint ; it came out so spontaneously that it was evidently meant simply as the statement of a fact, a bit of her experience, and nothing more. We filed back with our lanterns, a released. procession; and, COMMICOOOKS.C©