nner I easily called to mind all the persons who had ever been
objects of my hatred or dislike; every tedious hour, the
recollection of which tortured me afresh; all the folly and
absurdity that I had ever uttered myself, or heard from others.

In the numerous vast halls countless swarms of men were sitting,
standing, or walking about, all in the same state of deplorable
woe. And no variety, no division of time, no hour, no sun or night
disturbed or changed this melancholy monotonousness. One solitary
amusement was there. Now and then some one reminded us of our
former faith, how during our lives we had feared and worshipt a
God. Then a loud burst of laughter, as at a most portentous
absurdity, pealed through the hall. Afterward they all grew grave,
and I strove with all my faculties to call back the reverence, the
sanctity of my human feelings, but in vain.

* * * * *

Edward had not observed that the morning was already dawning, so
completely had he been wrapt up in these singular papers. Without
doubt too he would have gone on reading much longer, unless he had now
been interrupted by loud cries and a violent knocking at his door. He
went to see what it was, and Conrad rusht into the room, heated,
panting, and with a ferocious look.

"Now we have him!" cried the miner furiously: "did not I say long ago
that this vagabond is wickedness itself? Only let him instantly be
bound, master overseer, hand and foot in the heaviest chains you can
get, and then have the dog flogged till he is cut to pieces, that his
life and his infernal soul may crawl out of him by inches."

"What is the matter with you?" askt Edward. "I am afraid you must be
in a fever, and are stark raving."

"Hurrah!" screamed Conrad; "now my cruel illness will soon be gone,
now that the miscreant has been caught at his wicked tricks. He will
never carry me down again now into their rubbishy straw."

"Whom are you talking of?" Edward again began: "surely not of the
Hungarian miner?"

"The very person," answered Conrad: "the monster has been stealing,
and is in league with a whole gang of thieves. Hark you, to cut the
matter short, I could not sleep last night, and so roamed about the
woods, in part to get myself some herbs to cure my ailing. It was just
beginning to dawn, when I heard something like wheels down below,
along the lonely lane in the thick of the wood