XHE DREAM Of THE AIMLESS.
1 dreamt a dream In tlio morn'njr,
When the shadows were dim and gray,
Atid oil, suili a prospect golden
O'rc my eliln Iriir pathway lay I
The earth waB tilled with KiaducB,
The air was fllltd with soul',
And I thought ti at but low and betOity
Cou d lusplic me all day lonu'.
I dreamt a dream at the noontide,
When halt of the day was past;
The first half I knew was baircn,
Hut glorious I'd make the last;
Hut the world Jay part In the shadow,
the font.' a were not half so sweet,
Atid lore and beauty wero fleeting
Like shadows beneath my f ecU
I il-ramt n dream at the even,
When the diiy its course had run,
And my heart grew sad w thin mo
To Ihlnk how little I'd done.
But I sa d : "1 shall work to-morrow,
And make my name be known,
Till the uat on of earth shall wonder,
Ab my mighty power they own I"
But alas 1 and alas I time passes,
'J he sunrises, shines and tcts
Each morning so full of promises,
Each even so full of. rcurois I
An day fo lows day more fleetly,
While ambition and glory lave,
Till, at last, outworn and aimless,
1 fell all sink In a nameless grave.
thias Sandorf.
-by-
JULES VERNE.
AUTHOH OP "jOUnNEY TO THE CENTRE
OP THE EATTTII,
'Tllir TO THE MOON,
"AKODND THE WOULD IN EIGHTY
DAYS," " MICHAEL STllOOOPF,"
"TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES
UNDEK THE HEA," ETO., ETC
TEANSLATION COrYrtiailTKD, 1885.
CHAPTER L
THE OAIUHEIt 1'IOEON.
Tricsto, tlio capital of Hlyrin, con
sists of two towns of witloly dissimilinr
aspect. Olio of them Theresionstiidt
is modern nnd well-to-do, nnd squarely
built nlong tlio shore of tlio bay from
which tho land it oecupios has boon ro
claimod ; tho other is old nnd poor and
irregular, struggling from tho Oorso, up
tho slopes of tlio Karst, whoso summit
is crowded by tho pioturesquo citadel.
The harbor is guarded by tho molo of
San Carlo, with tho merchant shipping
berthed along sido. On this molo thero
may at most times bo seen nnd very
often in somewhat disquieting numbers
many a groop of those housolos and
nnd homeless Bohemians whoso clothes
might well bo destitute of pockets, con
sidering that their owners never had,
nnd to all appearance never, will havo
tho wherewithal to put into them.
To-day, howover it is tho 18th of
May, 18(57 two personages slightly
better dressed than the rest nro notieo
ublo among the crowd. That they havo
ovor HulVered from a superabundance of
florins or krotitzers is implorable, unless
eonio lucky ehanuo has favored them
and they certainly look as though they
would stick at nothing that might in
duoo that chaneo to come.
Ono of them calls himself Sarcnny,
and says ho hails from Tripoli. Tho
other is n Sicilian, Zirono by name.
Together thoy havo strolled up and
down tho molo at least a dozen times,
and now they havo halted at its farthest
and and aro gazing away to tlio horizon,
to tho west of tho Gulf of Trieste, as if
thoy hoped to sight tho ship which is
bringing from home their fortune.
"What time fs it?" asked Zirono in
Italian, which his comrade spoko as
ho did all tho other tongues of tho
Mediterranean.
Sarcany made no reply.
"What a fool I am 1" oxolaimed tho
Sicilian. "It is tho timo you tiro
hungry aftor you havo had no break
fast !"
Thoro is such a mixture of mocs in
this part of Austria-Hungary that tho
presence of thoo two men, although
7ero ouvibusly strangers to tho
place, provoked no attention. And bo
Bides, if their pockets wore empty, no
ono had reason to think so, thanks to
their long brown capes, which reached
even to their boots.
Sarcany, tho youngost of tho two,
n-as about llvo and twenty, nnd of
middle height, well sot up, and of
tilegunt manners and address, Sarcany,
however, was not his Daptisimal name,
nnd probably ho had never been bap
tized, being of Tripolitan or Tunisian
origin ; but though his complexion was
very durk his regular features pro
claimed him to bo more of tho white
than tho negro.
If over physiognomy was decoptivo,
it was so in Snroany's case. It required
a singularly keen observer to discover
his consummate astuteness in that hand
Bomo. nlausiblo face, with itH largo dark
eyes, lino straight nose, and well-cut i
mouth i-hadod by tho slight moustache.
Tluit almost impassible face botroyod
none of the signs of .contempt and
hatred engendered bv a constant state
of revolt against society. If, as physi
ognomists protend -ami thoy aro not
uufroquontly right--every rascal Dears
witness against himRelf in spito of all i
Iiis cleverness, Sarcany could give tho j
aasortiition the lio direct To look at
him olio would suspect what ho was nntl
what lie had been. Ho provoked none
of that irrcsistiablo nvorison wo feel
towards cheats and scoundrels j and, m
consequence, ho was ull the nioro
dangerous.
Where had Suroauy spent his child
,liood? No ono knew. How had ho
boon brought up. aud by whom 1 In
what corner of Tripoli had he nestled
during his early years ? To what pro.
tectiou did ho owe his escape from the
many ehaiiceu of destruction in that
terriblo olimato? No ono could say
maybe not oveu himself ; born by
chance, lielpod on by chance, destined
to live by chauco 1 Nevertheless, during
Ilia boyhood ho had picked up u certain
amount of practical instruction, thanks
to Uis haviug to knock about tho world,
mixing with people of all kinds, trust
ing to expodiout after expedient to
wwuro liU dally broad. It wua owing to
U1m aud other oircuumtauoea that he
Ma
hnd come to havo business relations with
ono of tho richest houses in Trieste,
that of tho bauker, Silas Toroctlial,
whoso namo is intimately connected
with tho development of this history.
Sarcany's companion, tho Italian,
Zirono, was n man faithless and lawless
a thorough-paced adventurer, iver
ready at tho call of him who could pay
him well, until ho met with him who
could pay him better, to underfako nny
task whatever. Of Sicilian birth nnd in
his thirtieth year, ho was capnblo of
suggesting a villainy as of carrying it
into effect Ho might havo told peoplo
where ho had been born had ho known ;
but ho never willingly said whero ho
lived or if ho lived anywhere. It was in
Sicily that tho chances of Bohcmicn lifo
had mado him acquainted with Sarcany.
And henceforth thoy had gono through
tho world, trying jxirfiu ct wjn to mako
a living by their wits. Zirono was n
large, bearded man, brown in complex
ion nnd black of hair, taking much
pains to hido tho look of the scoundrel
which would persist in revealing itscl
in spite of all his efforts. In vain ho
tried to conceal his real character be
neath his exuberant volubility, and,
being of rather a chcoiful temperament,
ho was just as talkative about himself as
his younger companion was reserved.
To-day, liowover, Zirono was very
moderafo in what ho had to say. Ho
was obviously anxious about his dinner.
Tho night beforo fortune had been un
kind to them at tho gaining table, and
tho resources of Sarcany had been
exhausted. What they wero to do next
neither know. Thoy could only reckon
on ohance, nnd ns that Providence of
tho Beggars did not seek them out on
tho molo of San Carlo, thoy decided to
go in ecarch of it along tho streets of
Um now town.
There, up and down tho squares,
quays and promenades on both sides of
tho harbor leading to tho grand canal
which runs through Trieste, thero goes,
comes, throngs, hastons and tears along
in tho fury, of business a population of
somu 70,000 inhabitants of Italian origin,
whose mother tonguo is lost in a cosmo
politan concert of all tho sailors, traders,
workmen and officials, who shout nnd
chatter in English, German, French or
Solave. Although this now town is rich,
it by no means follows that all who tread
its streets aro fortunate. No I Even
tho wealthiest could hardly compoto
with tho foreign merchants English,
Armenian, Greeks and Jows who lord
it at Trieste, and whoso Biirnptuons es
tablishments would do no discredit to
tho capital of Austria-Hungary. Hut,
beyond these, how many aro tlio poorer
follw wandering from morning to night
along tho busy streets, bordered with
lofty buildings closed like strong rooms,
whero lie tho goods of all descriptions
attracted to this freo port, so happily
placed at tlto farthest corner of tho
Adriatic t How many there are, break
fastless and dinnerloss, loitering on tho
quays whero tho vessels of tho wealth
iest shipping th'in of the Continent- tho
Austrian Lloyds -aro unloading tho
treasures brought from every part of the
world 1 How many outcasts there are,
suoh as nro found in .London, Liverpool,
Marseilles, Havre, Antwerp and Legh
orn, who olbow tho opulent shipowners,
thronging around tho warehouses, where
admittance is forbidden them, around
tho Exchange, whoso doors will nover
open for them, aud everywhere around
the Torge.stouni, whoro the merchant
has planted his ollleo and counting
house and lives in perfect accord with
the Chamber of Commerce !
It is admitted that in all tho groat
maritime towns of tho old and new
world thoro exists a class of unfortunates
peculiar to these important con'res.
whence thoy como wo know not ; whither
thoy go wo are equally ignorant Among
them tho number of uuolassod is con
siderable. Many of thorn aro foreign
ers. Tho railroads and the steamers
havo thrown them in, as it wero, on to a
dust-heap, nnd thero they lio crowding
tho thoroughfares, with the police striv
ing in vain to clear tt.oni away.
Sarcany nntl Zirono, aftor a farewell
look across the gulf to the lighthouse on
St Theresa Point, left tho mole, passed
between the Teatro Coiumuualo and tho
square, and reached tho Piazza Grande,
where they talked for a quarter of an
hour in front of tlio fountain which is
built of tho stone from tho neighboring
Karst Hill, and stands by tho statue to
Charles VI.
Then thoy turned to tho loft and
came back. To tell tho truth, Zirono
eyed tho passers by as if he had an irro
sistablo desire to feed on them. Then
they turned towards tho large square of
Tergesteuni, just as tho hour Btrttek to
close tho Exchange.
"Thero it is, empty liko wo aro 1"
enid tho Sicilian with a laugh, but
without any wish to laugh.
Hut. tho indilVeront Sarcany seemod to
take not the slightest notice of his com
panion's mistimed pleasantry as he in
dulged in a hungry yawn.
Then they crossed tho triangle past
tho bronze statue of tho Emperor Loo
pold I. A shrill whistle from Zirono
quite a street boy's whistle put to (light
tho llook of blue pigeons that wero
oooing on tho portico of the old Ex
change, liko the gray pigeons in the
square of St. Marie at Venice.
Then they reached the Corso which
divides new from old Trieste. A wide
street destitute of elegiinoe, with well
patroniaed shops destitute of taste, and
more liko the Bogent t-troet tit Loudon
or the Broadway of New York than the
Boulevard des Itulions of Paris, hi tho
street u great numlH'r of people, but of
vehicles only a few, and the.se going be
tween tho Piazza Grande and the Piazza
dolln Legna names Mtlllciently indicat
ing the town's Italian origin.
Sarcany appeared insensible to all
temptation, but Zirono as ho passed tho
Bhops could not help giving an envious
glance into those he had not the means
to cntor. And there was much there
that looked iuviting, particularly in tho
provision shops nnd chielly in tho
"biererios," whoro tho beer Hows more
freely than in any other town iu Austria.
Hungary.
"There is rather nioro hunger and
thirst about iu this Corso," said the
Sicilian, whoso tonguo rutUed ugoiust
' pl
his parched lips with tho click of a Cas
tanet Sarcany's only reply to this observa
tion was a shrug of tho shoulders.
They then took tho first turning to
tho left, aud reached tho bank of the
canal near thoPonto llosso a swing
bridge. This they crossed and went
along tho quays, whero vessels of light
draught wero busy unloading. Hero
the whops and stalls looked much less
tempting. "When ho reached tho church
of San Antonio, Sarcany turned sharply
to tho right Ills companion followed
him in silence. Thou they went back
along tho Corso and erosscd tho old
town whoso narrow btreets, impractic
able for vehicles as they begin to climb
tho slopes of tho Karst, are so laid out
as to prevent their being enfiladed by
that terriblo "wind, tho bora, which
blows icily from the northeast. In this
old town of Trieste, Zirono and Sarcany.
the moneyless, found themselves moio
at homo than among the richer quarters
of tho now.
It was, iu fact, in tho lmsonient of a
modest hotel not far from the church of
Santa Maria Mnggioro that thoy had
lodged since their arrival in the Illyriau
Capital. But as the landlord, who re
mained unpaid, might become pressing
as to this little bill, which grow larger
from day to day, thev sheered oft' from
this dangerous shoal, crossed tho square
aud loitered for a few minutes near tho
Arco di liicoardo,
Tho study ofBoinan architecture did
not prove very satisfying, and as noth
ing had turned up in the almost deserted
btreots, they began the nscent of tho
rough footpaths leading almost to the
top of the Karst to tho terrace of tho
cathedral.
" Curious idea to climd up hero 1"
muttered Zirono, as ho tightened his
oipo around his waist
But ho did not nbandon his young
companion, ami nway ho went along tho
line of steps, called by courtosy roads,
which letl up the slopes of tho Karst.
Ten minutes afterwards, hungrier and
thirstier than ever, they reached tho
terrace.
Prom this elevated spot thoro is n
magnitleant view extending across the
Gulf of Trieste to the open seas, includ
ing tho port with its ilshing boats pass
ing nnd repassing, and its steamers and
trading ships outward and homeward
bound, nnd tho whole of tho town with
its suburbs and farthest houses cluster
ing along tho hills. Tho view had no
olmrni for them I They were thinking
of something very different, of the many
times thoy had como here already to
ponder on their misery ! Zirono would
have preferred n stroll along the rich
slopes of the Corso. Perhaps the luck
might reach them hero which they wero
so impatiently waiting for 1
At the end of tho stops leading on to
tho terrace near the Byzantine Cathed
ral of Saint Just thero was an enclosure,
formerly a cemetary and now a museum
of antiquities. There wero no tombs,
but odds and ends of sopuleharal stones
lying in disorder under tho lower
branches of tho trees Boman steho,
mediiuval oippi, pieces of trigylphs nnd
metopes of different ages of the Bonnis
sance, yitriiled cubes with traces of
cinders, all thrown anyhow among tho
grass.
The gato of tho enclosure was open.
Sarcany had only to push it. Ho en
tered, "followed by Zirono, who con
tented himself with this melancholy
reflection
"If wo wanted to committ Buicido
this is just the place!
"And if someone proposes it?" askod
Saivany ironically.
"I should decline, my friend ! Givo
mo one happy day iu ten and I ask no
more."
"It shall be given you and some
thing else,"
"May all tho saints of Italy hear you,
and Heaven knows they aro counted iu
hundreds."
"Come along !" said Sarcany.
They went along a semicircular path
between a double nuigo of uius and sat
themselves down on a largo Boman roso
window which had fallen Hat on tho
ground.
At tlrst thoy remained silout This
suited Sarcany, but it did not suit his
companion. And nftor ono or two half
Btitlod yawns Zirono broke out with
"This something that we have loon
fools enough to wait for is a loug time
coming."
Surcauy made no reply.
"'What uu idea." continued Zirono,
"to como and look for it among theso
ruins 1 I am afraid wo aro on tho
J wrong track, my friend. What aro wo
likely to find in this old graveyard?
I Tho spirits do not want it when they
j havo left thoir mortal carcasses behind
them. When I join them I shall not
l worry about a dinner thnt is lato or a
supper that never comes I Let us get
I away."
Sarcany, deep in thought, with his
looks lost in vacancy, never moved,
i Zirono wajtcd a few moments without
saying anything. Then this habitual
loquacity urged him to say :
"Sarcany," ho said, "do you know in
what form I should liko this something
to appear? In tho form of onoofthoso
cashier peoplo from Toronthal's with a
pocketbook stuffed full of bank notes
1 which ho could hand over to us on behalf
I of tho said banker with a thousand
I apologies for keeping us waiting so
long."
"Listen, Zirono," answered Sarcany,
knitting his brows ; " for tho last timo I
tell you that thero is' nothing to bo
hoped for from Silas Toronthal."
i "Aro you sure of that?"
j "Yes, all tho credit I havo with him
is exhausted, nnd to my last demands ho
gave me a definite refusal."
"That is bad."
"Very bad, but it is so."
"Good, if your credit is exhausted,"
continued Zirono, "it is because you
havo had the credit ! And to what H
that duo? To your having many times
placed your intelligence and zonl at tho
sorvico of his linn in certain matters of
dolieney. Now, during tho first mouths
of our stay in Trieste, Toronthal did not
show himself too stingy in money mat
ters. But it is impossible that there is
not somo way in which you havo a hold
over him, aud by threatening him"
"What was to bo done has already
been done." replied Sarcany, with a
shrug of his shoulders ; "anil you can
not go to him for a meal ! No ! I havo
no hold over him now ; but I may havo
and shall have, and when that day comes
he shall pay mo capital and compound
interest for what he has refused mo to
day ! I fanoy his business is under a
cloud; and that ho is mixed up in several
doubtful things.1. Several of those fail
ures in Germany, at Berlin nnd Munich
have had their effect in Trieste, and Silas
Toronthal seemed rather upset when I
saw him last. Let the water get
troubled, anil when it is troubled "
"Quite so," exclaimed Zirono ; " but
meanwhile wo have only water to drink !
Look hore, Sarcany, I think you might
try ono more shot at Toronthal I You
might tap his cash box onco more, nnd
get enough out of it to pay our passago
to Sicily by way of Malta."
"And what should wo do in Sicily?"
"That is my business. I know tho
country, and 1 can introduce you to a
few Maltese, who aro n very tough lot,
and with them wo might do something.
If thoro is nothing to bo done hero wo
might as well clear out and lot this
wretched banker pay the cost If you
know anything about him ho would
rather see you out of Trieste."
Sarcany shook his head.
"Y'ou will see it cannot last muoh
longer. Wo havecomoto tho end now,"
ndded Zirono.
Ho roso and stamped on tho ground
with his foot, as if it wore a stepmother
unwilling to help him. At tho instant
lio did so ho caught sight of a pigeon
feebly Uuttering down just outside tho
enclosure. Tho pigeon's tired wings
could hardly move as slowly it sank to
the ground.
Zirone, without asking himself to
which of the 177 species of pigeons now
known to ornithological nomenclature
tho bird belonged, saw only ono thing
that tho species it belonged to was edi
ble. Tho bird was evidently exhausted. It
had tried to settle on the eornieo of tho
cathedral. Not boing abloto reach it, it
had dropped on to tho roof of the small
uiclio which gave shelter to the statue of
St Just ; but its feeble feet could not
supiort it there, snd it had slipped onto
the capital of a ruined column.
Sarcany, bilent an 1 still, hardly fol
lowed, tho pigeon in its flight, but Zi
rono uovor lost sight of it Tho bird
came from tho north. A long journoy
had reduced it to this stnto of exhaus
tiou. Evidontly it was IkhuuI for eomo
more distant spot ; for it immediately
started to fly again, and tho trajectory
curve it traced in tho air comiellod it to
mako a fresh halt on ono of the lowor
branches of the trees in tho old oeme-tarv
Zirono resolved to catch it, nnd quiet
ly ran off to tho tree. Ho soon
reached tho gnarled trunk, climbed, up
it to the fork, nnd there waited motion
ess nnd muto liko a dog pointing nt tho
gamo perched above his head.
Tlio pigeon did not seo him and mado
nnother start; but its strength agniu
failed it, and a few paces from tho treo
it fell into tho grass.
To jump to tho ground, stretch out
hia hands and siezo'tho bird was tho
work of an instant for the Sicilian. And
quite naturally he was about to wring
its neck, when ho stopped, gave a shout
of surprise, nnd ran back to Sarcany.
"A carrier pigeon !" he said.
"Well, it is a earner that has dono its
carrying," replied Sarcany.
"Perhaps so," said Zirone, "and all
the worse for thoso who aro waiting for
tho message."
"A message 1" exclaimed Sarcany,
"Wait, Zirono wait I Givo him a re
prieve 1"
And ho stopped his companion, whd
had again caught hold of tho neck.
Then ho took tho tiny packet, opened it
and drew forth a cryptogram.
Tho message contaiucd only eightceu
words, arranged in three vertical col
umns, and this is what it said :
ihnalz zneinen ruiopn
nrnuro trvreo mtqssl
otlzhnp estloy eeunrt
noeoil tunics nonpvg
pppstlr erHtur ouitso
ci'dsno toeedt nrtuoo
CHAPJ'KK If.
THE PlOKON'S 1I0MK.
There was nothing to show whonco
tho messago came or whither it was be
ing sent. Only theso eighteen words,
each composed of nn equal number of
letters. Could they bo mado into sense,
without Ithe key? It was not very
likely, at least unless it was by somo
very clover decipherer 1 And yet tho
cryptogram could not bo indecipher
able !
Tho characters told him nothing, and
Sarcany, who was at first much disap
pointed, stood perplexed. Did tho let
ter contain any important nows, and
nbovo all, was it of a compromising
nature? Evidently, theso precautious
had been taken to prevent its boing read
if it fell into other hands than thoso for
whom it was intended. To make use of
neither the post nor tho telegraph, but
tho extraordinary means of tlio carrier
pigeon, showed that it must bo somo
curious affair that it was desired to
keep quite secret.
"Perhaps," said Sarcany, "thero lies
in theso lines a mystery that will mako
our fortune."
"And then," answered Zirone, "This
pigeon will represent the luck wo havo
been running after all tho morning.
Aud I was going to strangle it ! After
all it is important to keep the message,
and wo can cook the messenger."
"Not so fast, Zirone," interrupted
Sarcany, who again saved tho bird's life.
"Perhaps tho pigeon mny toll us whither
it was bound, providing, of course, that
the person who ought to havo tho mes
sage lives iu Trieste."
"And then? That will not tell you
how to read tho message, Sarcany."
"No, Zirone."
"Nor to know where it camo from."
"Exactly. But of two correspond
ents I shall know one, nnd that may toll
mo how I am to find tho other. So. in
stead of killing this bird, wo will feed it
nnd recruit its strength and help it to
reach its destination."
"With tho letter ?" asked Zirono.
"With tho letter of which I am go
ing to mako an exact copy ; nnd that I
shall keep until tho timo comes to use
it"
And Sarcany took a notebook from his
pocket, and in pencil ho made a careful
fac-similo of tho message. Knowing
that in most cryptograms it was import
ant not to alter in tho least tho form
nnd arrangement, he took great euro to
keep tho words in oxactly the snmo
order and position and nt tho sr.mo dis
tances ns in tho document Then ho put
tho fac-similo in bis pocket the messago
in its caso, nnd tho caso in its plnco
under tho pigeon's wing.
Zirono looked on. Ho did not share
tho hopes of fortuno founded on this in
cident "And now?" ho nsked.
" Now. " answered Sarcany, " do what
you can for tho messenger."
Tho pigeon was more exhausted by
hunger than fatigue. Its wings wero
intact without strain or breakage, and
showed thnt hia temporary weakness was
duo neither to a shot from a lortsman
nor a stouo from u street boy. It was
hungry it was thirsty ; that was nil.
Zirono looked around nnd found on
tho ground a few grains of uorn which
tho bird nto greedily. Then ho
quenched his thirst with a few drops of
water which tho last shower hnd loft in a
pieoo of ancient pottery. So well did ho
do his work Unit in half nn hour the pig
con was refreshed and restored ami
quito ablo to resumo his interrupted
journey.
"If it is going far," said Sarcany, "if
ita destination is beyond Trieste, it does
not matter to us if it falls on tho way,
for wo shall have lost sight of U, nnd it
will bo impossiblo for us to follow it
But if it is going to one of tho. houses iu
Trieste, its strength is suflicient to tako
it there, for it will only havo to fly for a
oouplo of minutes or so."
"Bight you are," replied tho Sicilian;
" but how ure wo to seo whero it drops,
oven if it is iu Trieste?'"
"Wo can manage that, I think," nn
swored Sarcany. Aud this is what they
did.
Tho cathedral consists of two old Bo
man churches, ono dedicated to tho
Virgin, one to St. Just, tho patron saint
of Trieste, and it is Hanked by a very
high tower which rises from the angle of
tho front, pierced with a largo roso win
dow, beneath which is tho chief door.
This tower commnuds a viow over tho
plateau of KnrstHill, mid over tho whole
city, which lies spread ns on n innp
below, From this lofty standpoint they
could seo down on tho roofs of nil the
houses, oven on to those clustering on
tho earlier slopes of tho hiU awrj to tho
thoro of tho gulf. It was therefore not
imossiblo to follow tho pigeon in its
flight nnd recgnizo the houso on which
it found refuge, providod it was not
bound for some other city of the IUjrinu
peninsnla.
Tho attempt might succeed. It was
nt lenst worth trying. They only had to
Bet tho bird at liberty.
Sarcany nnd Zirono left tho old ceme
tery, crossed tho opeu spneo by tho
oathedral nnd wnlkcd towards tho tower.
One of tho ogival doors tlio ono under
the dripstone beneath St. Just's niche
was open. They entered and began to
iscend the stairs which led to the roof.
It took them two or three minutes to
rench the top. They stood just under
neath tho roof, nnd thero wns no balco
ny. But there wero two windows open
ini? out on each sido of the tower, nnd
giving a view to each point of tho
doublo horizon of hills nnd sea.
Sarcany nnd Zirono posted themselves
nt tho windows which looked out over
Tricsto towards tho northwest
Tho clock in tho old sixteenth century
castlo on tho top of tho Kurst behind
tho cathedral struck four. It was
still broad daylight The nir was
clear aud tho sun shown brightly
on the waters of tho Adriatic and most'
of tho houses received tho light with
their fronts facing tho tower. Thus far
circumstances wero favorable.
Sarcany took tho pigeon in his hards,
ho stroked it, spoko to it, gavo it n
last caress and throw it free.
The bird flapped its wings, but nt first
it dropped so quickly thnt it looked ns
though it was going to finish its career
of aerial messenger by a cruel fall.
Tho excitablo Sicilian could not re
strain a cry of disappointment
" No ! It rise3 ! " said Sarcany.
And tho pigeon had found its equili
brium in the denser lower nir ; nnd then
making a sudden curve it flew off to
wnrds the northwest.
Sarcany nnd Zirono followed it with
their eyes.
In the flight of tho bird thero was no
hesitation. . Ho went straight to his
homo which he would have reached nn
hour beforo had it not been for his
compulsory halt among tho trees of tho
old graveyard.
Sarcany and his compnnion watched
it with tho most anxious nttontion.
They nsked themselves if it was going
beyond the town and then nil their
scheming would como to naught
It did nothing of the sort.
"I seo it! I see it nil tho timo !" snid
Zirone, whoso sight wns of tho keenest.
"What you have to look for," said
Sarcany, " is where it stops, so as to fix
tho exact spot"
A few minutes after its departure tho
pigeon settled on a houso with ono
tall gablo rising nbovo tlio rest iu tho
midst of n clump of trees in that part of
tho town near tho hospital and public
garden. Then it disappeared into a
dormer window opening on the mansard,
which was surmounted by a weather
vane of wrought iron that ought to havo
been the work of Quentin Matsys if
Tricsto had been in Plunders.
Tho general direction being ascer
tained it would not bo very difficult to
find the weather vane and gablo and
window, and, in short, the house in
habited by tho person for whom tho
cryptogram was intended.
Sarcany nnd Zirono immediately
mado their way down tho tower and
down the hill and along the roads lead
ing to tho Piazza del a Legna. Thero
they had to lay thoir corn-he so as to
reach tho group of houses forming tho
eastern quarter of tho city.
When thoy reached the junction of two
main roads tho CoisaStndion leading to
the public garden aud tho Acquedotto, a
Jino avenuo of trees leading to tho largo
brewery of Boschetto, tho adventurers
wero in somo doubt as to tho true di
rection. Should they tnko the right or
tho left? Instinctively thoj' turned to
the right intending to examine ono nfter
the other every houso along tho avenuo
above which thoy had noted tho vauo
among tho trees.
They went along in this manner, in
specting in their turn every gablo nnd
roof nlong tho Acquedotto, but they
found nothing liko tho ono thoy sought
At last they reached tho end.
"Thero it is!" exclaimed Zirono.
And there was tho weather vnno
swinging slowly on its iron spindlo
nbovo a dormor window around which
were several pigeons.
Thero was no mistake. It wns tho
identical houso in which the pigeon had
flown.
The houso was of modest exterior, and
formed ono of tho blook nt the begin
ning of the Acquedotto.
Sarcany made inquiries at the neigh
boring shops and learned all ho wished
to know.
The houso for many years had be
longed nnd been inhabited by Count
Ladislas Zathmar.
"Who is Count Zathmar?" nsked
Zirone, to whom the name meant
nothing.
"Ho is tho Count Zathmar I" an
swered Sarcany.
"But perhaps ? j wero to ask
him"
"Later on, Zirone ; there's no hurry !
Tnko it coolly, nnd now to our hotel !"
"Yes, it is diuner-timo for thoso who
havo got somothing to dine on !" 6aid
Zirono bitterly.
" If wo do not dine to-day, it is possi
ble that wo shall dine to-niorrow," an
swered Sarcany.
"With whom?"
"Who knows? Perhaps with Count
Zathmnr I"
They walked nlong quietly why
should they hurry? nnd soon reached
their modest hotel, still much too rich
for them, seeiug thoy could uql pay
their bill.
Whnt a surprise wns in store for
them! A letter hnd arrived, addressed
to Sarcany.
Tho letter contained a note for 200
florins aud theso vords-nothiug more : I
Enclosed is tho last monoy you will
get from mo. It is enough to pay your
passago to Sicily. Go nnd lot mo hear
jo more of you. Silas TonoNTHAi.
"Capital!" exclaimed Zirono; "the
banker thinks better of it just in time.
Assuredly wo need nover despair of
thoso flunnciol folks!"
"That is what I say," said Sarcany.
" And tho coin will do for us to have
Trieste,"
"No I wo'll stop herol"
(to be continued.)
V
i