The six sisters of the valleys : an historical romance - University Library

228 THE SIX SISTERS OF THE VALLEYS.
the swaying and clinking of an iron chain
fastened to a ring in one side of the
dungeon, which in his frenzy he had tried
to wrench from the wall for the purpose
of suicide. But as his hand rests against
the stone it becomes sensible of an indent-
ation in the form of a letter; there are
several words, which form a line ; it may
be the legacy of some suffering predecessor,
perhaps of her whom he had released from
that very cell. Beginning from one end to
trace with his finger the characters, he
deciphered the sentence, " The blood of
Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin."
Underneath, in smaller and more irregular
characters, was another half- finished line,
" Fear not them that kill the body ; but
fear Him who, after He hath killed, hath
power to cast into hell. Yea " Here
it ceased. The captive traced and retraced
these precious characters, which sounded
like a voice from heaven, and spoke com-
fort to his benighted heart. When human