The sequel by Walter Scott's story sobered on the instant the padlock had clicked when
Montessor passed the chain about my waist, and thus fastened me to the wall.
I stood upright in the little dungeon, the blood running cold in my
veins. With a maniacal laughter, he withdrew from the niche, whipping a
towel from under his robe, he began to wall up the narrow opening.
I knew it was not a joke, a drunken chest. I saw that
his drunkenness had fallen from him. The dying flambeaux fell from my nerveless hand
and cast a fitful, bloody glow against the whitened tripping walls. I shook
the chain frenzily. For God's sake, Matossor, I cried. He replied
with a horrible, mocking laugh, and, like a devil from hell,
lifted his voice with mine to show that it was idle to call for help.
I always distrusted Montasor. I knew him to be a serpent. He
feared me and was jealous of my person and attachments. In spite of all
his fawnings and smiles, I knew he hated me deeply, for the injuries
I had heaped upon him, and for the open insults I had added to
them. And yet I swear he had never, in the slightest suspected that
it was not Giovanna, the tenor who was successful with his wife, but
I Fortunado. He called, and his hoarse tone echoed in a ghastly way
through the gloomy catacombs of his ancestors, and re echoed along the winding crypt.
I made no reply. Cold beads of fear started from my brow as
I strained against the chain and listened to the soft thudding of the stones he
was building into the opening to make my tomb, and the accompanying tinkle of
his trowel. Even then I admired perforce the cleverness with which he had secured
his revenge. It was the night of the carnival. He had found me
in the streets, dazed with wine, and pretended that he wanted my judgment
on a cask of sherry, had lured my staggering feet into the gloomy passages
under his palazzo, and he had brought me to this narrow niche in the
castle wall, to entomb me alive where no one would ever find me.
It was very clever. My memory fails me now, but I doubt not
that I cried out many times for pity and mercy. And I take no
shame in thinking that this may have been so. I recall his words,
his horrible mouthings, as he worked with more haste and zeal than skill.
But I was a brave man, and always I did not yield myself to
fate. It was unthinkable I Fortunato to die walled up by Motusor. I
cursed him and his line. I wrenched at the chain with ferocious strength,
more eager to have him by the throat than to be free to live.
I called upon all the saints, and particularly to my patron Saint. You
shall see that I was not unheard. The wall grew high to his breast,
and in the light of his flambeaux sat somewhere in the wall outside.
I could see Matussor's sweating face as he labored with the stones. Suddenly he
thrust his torch through the opening no larger than his head, And to deceive
him, I prostrated myself upon the door and laughed the laugh of a dying
man. I heard the thud of another stone, and looked up quickly.
My flambeau had died out, monosaurs had disappeared, and there was no opening.
I was in a tomb of stone. Absolute darkness surrounded me. The
walls seemed to press upon me like icy blankets. The silence was absolute.
As the darkness reigned, I leaped to my feet. Silence, silence,
absolute silence, save for my own laboring breath. Maria supposed the mortar hardened
ere I could throw my weight against the poor wall he had built. Then
I were lost. I called out loud for my holy saint Lucky. It
was that I had the bodily strength of two. I strained upon the chain
wildly. I seized it in my hands and tore it with savage determination.
I would not die. Thus, in desperation, frantic, with rage and
fear, I made one last, violent, prodigious effort to free myself with
strength enough to make the palazzo tremble. And in that last great effort,
the staples of the chain tore loose from the half rotted stone in which they
were fastened. Hot tears of joy welled in my eyes. I vowed a
hundred candles to the virgin, but I could not take the time to give
thanks. Throwing myself upon the wall Montesor had just reared my feet desperately braced
on the rough stone, I fought for liberty like a tiger. Heavens it
gave. The wall gave it yielded like a stiff canvas against the push of
a hand, gave slowly but surely, bulging outward, then went rumbling down.
I thrust myself through the jagged opening into the catacombs. I was free.
What a joy if Montessor had been there, even though he wore his
rapier and I had but my pointuard. It was very dark, and yet
I could see a gleam of light in the direction from which we had come.
Montor, crazed with the thought of sweet revenge, I drunk with wine.
I paused and thought, should I find him in the street this gay
time and slay him? No, there was a better thing to do.
With haste and no mean skill. I built up the wall anew, closing
the opening of what might have been my tomb had I been a weak man.
And against this new wall erected a rampart of old bones, then thrusting
the dangling end of the chain within my doublet began to retrace my feet toward
freedom. I struck my foot against some small soft object and halted with a
start. I leaned over. I had kicked against Motossor's mask, and I
put it over my face. I knew that all his servants were away to
enjoy the carnival, but it would do no harm to wear this mask,
and it served my purpose. I passed through the crypt and walked back,
swiftly and steadily through the range of low arches through which I had come staggering
to the awful doom. Soon I was above in my false friend's rich sweets,
in the cheerful glow of many lights. But all was quiet, no
one stirred. I was alone safe. I went light footed through the deserted
house. I could hear the shouts and laughter of merry people in the street
until I came to the passage leading to the plaza. There I stopped,
with the blood jumping in my veins like wildfire. In this hall. In
the corner, upon a low settee lay Montessor, sprawling in a heavy stupor,
as drunk with wine as I had been when I trustfully entered within his
doors. I paused over his body. Within my bosom was the dagger with
which I never part, and yet I let him lie there unharmed. When
I elbowed my way masked through the square, it was twelve o'clock. I
was in time to keep my appointment with my wife. I laughed, what
a chest and Montesor's wife was waiting for me in the usual place. Such
a beautiful woman. I really loved her, and I hope he did.
I was as clever as I was brave. I was indeed an exceedingly clever
man. I had seen my creditors pressing, and all things turned towards ruin,
and that is why I had converted everything possible into gold and precious stones.
That night I crept unseen into my own house, from which my servants,
like Montossurs, had stolen away to enjoy the carnival, and securing all
the wealth I had secreted was up and away, my chain stricken off by
an obscure armor. I have no doubt that my body servant was executed for
the theft of my fortune, as indeed he should have been for watching my
belonging so poorly. But I know not then we left the city while the
streets were still crowded, and gay Montissor's wife and I and went to England,
where we have lived a long life and very happy. Years ago I
heard a vague rumor that Montessor believed his beautiful wife had gone away with Giovanna
the tenor, who disappeared at about that time. But it was not so.
As for Lady Fortunado, she may have guessed the truth, and Montessor
will believe until he dies that my bones lay crumbling in the little wolled in
Dungeon below his palazzo. The end of the sequel