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Speaker 1: The sequel by Walter Scott's story sobered on the instant

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the padlock had clicked when Montessor passed the chain about

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my waist, and thus fastened me to the wall. I

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stood upright in the little dungeon, the blood running cold

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in my veins. With a maniacal laughter, he withdrew from

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the niche, whipping a towel from under his robe, he

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began to wall up the narrow opening. I knew it

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was not a joke, a drunken chest. I saw that

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his drunkenness had fallen from him. The dying flambeaux fell

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from my nerveless hand and cast a fitful, bloody glow

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against the whitened tripping walls. I shook the chain frenzily.

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For God's sake, Matossor, I cried. He replied with a horrible,

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mocking laugh, and, like a devil from hell, lifted his

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voice with mine to show that it was idle to

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call for help. I always distrusted Montasor. I knew him

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to be a serpent. He feared me and was jealous

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of my person and attachments. In spite of all his

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fawnings and smiles, I knew he hated me deeply, for

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the injuries I had heaped upon him, and for the

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open insults I had added to them. And yet I

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swear he had never, in the slightest suspected that it

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was not Giovanna, the tenor who was successful with his wife,

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but I Fortunado. He called, and his hoarse tone echoed

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in a ghastly way through the gloomy catacombs of his ancestors,

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and re echoed along the winding crypt. I made no reply.

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Cold beads of fear started from my brow as I

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strained against the chain and listened to the soft thudding

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of the stones he was building into the opening to

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make my tomb, and the accompanying tinkle of his trowel.

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Even then I admired perforce the cleverness with which he

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had secured his revenge. It was the night of the carnival.

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He had found me in the streets, dazed with wine,

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and pretended that he wanted my judgment on a cask

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of sherry, had lured my staggering feet into the gloomy

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passages under his palazzo, and he had brought me to

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this narrow niche in the castle wall, to entomb me

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alive where no one would ever find me. It was

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very clever. My memory fails me now, but I doubt

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not that I cried out many times for pity and mercy.

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And I take no shame in thinking that this may

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have been so. I recall his words, his horrible mouthings,

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as he worked with more haste and zeal than skill.

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But I was a brave man, and always I did

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not yield myself to fate. It was unthinkable I Fortunato

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to die walled up by Motusor. I cursed him and

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his line. I wrenched at the chain with ferocious strength,

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more eager to have him by the throat than to

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be free to live. I called upon all the saints,

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and particularly to my patron Saint. You shall see that

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I was not unheard. The wall grew high to his breast,

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and in the light of his flambeaux sat somewhere in

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the wall outside. I could see Matussor's sweating face as

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he labored with the stones. Suddenly he thrust his torch

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through the opening no larger than his head, And to

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deceive him, I prostrated myself upon the door and laughed

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the laugh of a dying man. I heard the thud

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of another stone, and looked up quickly. My flambeau had

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died out, monosaurs had disappeared, and there was no opening.

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I was in a tomb of stone. Absolute darkness surrounded me.

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The walls seemed to press upon me like icy blankets.

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The silence was absolute. As the darkness reigned, I leaped

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to my feet. Silence, silence, absolute silence, save for my

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own laboring breath. Maria supposed the mortar hardened ere I

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could throw my weight against the poor wall he had built.

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Then I were lost. I called out loud for my

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holy saint Lucky. It was that I had the bodily

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strength of two. I strained upon the chain wildly. I

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seized it in my hands and tore it with savage determination.

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I would not die. Thus, in desperation, frantic, with rage

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and fear, I made one last, violent, prodigious effort to

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free myself with strength enough to make the palazzo tremble.

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And in that last great effort, the staples of the

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chain tore loose from the half rotted stone in which

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they were fastened. Hot tears of joy welled in my eyes.

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I vowed a hundred candles to the virgin, but I

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could not take the time to give thanks. Throwing myself

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upon the wall Montesor had just reared my feet desperately

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braced on the rough stone, I fought for liberty like

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a tiger. Heavens it gave. The wall gave it yielded

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like a stiff canvas against the push of a hand,

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gave slowly but surely, bulging outward, then went rumbling down.

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I thrust myself through the jagged opening into the catacombs.

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I was free. What a joy if Montessor had been there,

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even though he wore his rapier and I had but

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my pointuard. It was very dark, and yet I could

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see a gleam of light in the direction from which

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we had come. Montor, crazed with the thought of sweet revenge,

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I drunk with wine. I paused and thought, should I

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find him in the street this gay time and slay him? No,

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there was a better thing to do. With haste and

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no mean skill. I built up the wall anew, closing

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the opening of what might have been my tomb had

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I been a weak man. And against this new wall

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erected a rampart of old bones, then thrusting the dangling

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end of the chain within my doublet began to retrace

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my feet toward freedom. I struck my foot against some

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small soft object and halted with a start. I leaned over.

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I had kicked against Motossor's mask, and I put it

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over my face. I knew that all his servants were

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away to enjoy the carnival, but it would do no

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harm to wear this mask, and it served my purpose.

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I passed through the crypt and walked back, swiftly and

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steadily through the range of low arches through which I

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had come staggering to the awful doom. Soon I was

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above in my false friend's rich sweets, in the cheerful

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glow of many lights. But all was quiet, no one stirred.

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I was alone safe. I went light footed through the

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deserted house. I could hear the shouts and laughter of

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merry people in the street until I came to the

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passage leading to the plaza. There I stopped, with the

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blood jumping in my veins like wildfire. In this hall.

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In the corner, upon a low settee lay Montessor, sprawling

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in a heavy stupor, as drunk with wine as I

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had been when I trustfully entered within his doors. I

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paused over his body. Within my bosom was the dagger

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with which I never part, and yet I let him

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lie there unharmed. When I elbowed my way masked through

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the square, it was twelve o'clock. I was in time

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to keep my appointment with my wife. I laughed, what

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a chest and Montesor's wife was waiting for me in

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the usual place. Such a beautiful woman. I really loved her,

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and I hope he did. I was as clever as

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I was brave. I was indeed an exceedingly clever man.

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I had seen my creditors pressing, and all things turned

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towards ruin, and that is why I had converted everything

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possible into gold and precious stones. That night I crept

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unseen into my own house, from which my servants, like Montossurs,

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had stolen away to enjoy the carnival, and securing all

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the wealth I had secreted was up and away, my

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chain stricken off by an obscure armor. I have no

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doubt that my body servant was executed for the theft

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of my fortune, as indeed he should have been for

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watching my belonging so poorly. But I know not then

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we left the city while the streets were still crowded,

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and gay Montissor's wife and I and went to England,

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where we have lived a long life and very happy.

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Years ago I heard a vague rumor that Montessor believed

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his beautiful wife had gone away with Giovanna the tenor,

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who disappeared at about that time. But it was not so.

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As for Lady Fortunado, she may have guessed the truth,

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and Montessor will believe until he dies that my bones

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lay crumbling in the little wolled in Dungeon below his palazzo.

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The end of the sequel