Secret Societies Of The Middle Ages.—Iii.

He Avas accordingly obliged to order the guest to be conducted to the wainscot chamber . We need not enter further into other details of the story than those Avhich relate to the Yehmiqne association ; but in case any of our readers may be anxious to knoAV of the escape of an innocent and independent man ( as any one mig ht Avell be called AVIIO slighted a Vehmique summons ) , even in a work of fiction—we may

inform them of the arrival ( after the landlord had retired and before the intended victim had sought his couch ) , of another traveller , who paid liberally , and ivho peremptorily insisted on having a room to himself . The last arrived traveller AA'as SIIOAVU , by the servants—AVIIO Avere unacquainted ' with certain peculiarities in that apartment which will presentl y be described , besides those Avith which the reader is

already acquainted—to the wainscot chamber , and shared the fate intended for the first guest , for Avhom a temporary couch Avas hastily made up in the public apartment . At midnight , the panel Avhich the reader has already heard of , Avas cautiously opened , and FatherAuselm with an attendant passed into the wainscot chamber : that fatal room Avhere many a traveller had received the dread summons of the cord and dagger : and Avhere also many a life

had been sacrificed to the sanguinary decrees of the secret tribunal . Not to give the particulars of a revolting murder , Ave may merel y observe that tlie dagger did its Avork upon one for Avhom it Avas not intended ; and that Avhen the mistake Avas discovered , tlie chief of the Vehms , after having taken from the person of the deceased some papers of importance , the possession of AA'hich happened to be

invaluable fco him , gave the order that all traces of the deed should disappear in the usual manner . The landlord obeyed the command with alacrity . He threw all the clothes ofthe victim upon the bed ; and then taking a large key from a bunch that hung at his girdle , he applied it to a lock fixed in one of the bed posts .

The key turned Avith a harsh grating noise , and an unseen bolt Avas shot backAvards AA'ith a sharp ringing sound . The entire AvoodAvork , AA'hich formed Avhat may be called the platform of the bed , turned rapidly round on an axis , Avhile at the same moment , and in obedience to the same skilfully contrived machinery , a large trap door opened downiA'ards immediately beneath , so that corpse , mattress , sheets , blankets , and the garments of the deceased , Avere precip itated into a yaAvning gulf under that fatal couch . There Avas a splash of Avater , and then all Avas still .

The landlord turned the key back again ; the platform of the bed revolved once more on ifcs axis , and returned to its proper horizontal position , and the trap door closed . Another key opened a large closet communicating with the room ; and thence the landlord conveyed another mattrass and fresh sheets and blankets to the couch . These Avere arranged in such a manner as to have the appearance of having been slept in . Thus all traces of the assassination disappeared , and the landlord IIOAV felt relieved from a most oppressive load , for he