Hans of Iceland Author:Victor Hugo Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: III. Ah ! my heart could not be more deeply wounded! A young man of no morals — he dared to look at her ! his gaze sullied her purity. Claudia ! the bare thou... more »ght drives me frantic. — Lessing : Emilia Galotti. " Andrew, go and tell the officer of the guard that curfew will ring in half an hour. Sorsyll will relieve Duckness at the portcullis, and Maldivius will mount guard on the platform of the great tower. Let sharp watch be kept from the donjon of the Liou of Schleswig. Don't forget to fire the gun at seven o'clock for the boom to be raised across the harbor, — but no, Captain Dispolsen has not arrived yet: see that the beacon is lighted, on the other hand, and ascertain also whether the beacon of Walderhog is lighted according to the orders given yesterday. Above all things, be sure that something is ready for the captain to eat and drink. — And, I forgot — put down Toric Belfast, second arquebusier of the regiment, for two days in the dungeons: he has been absent all day." Thus spoke the sergeant-at-arms under the black, smoke-begrimed arches of the guard-house at Munck- holm, situated in the low tower overlooking the first gateway of the Castle. The soldiers whom he addressed left their cards or their beds, to carry out his orders, and silence reigned once more. A moment later the measured sound of oars was heard without. " That must be Captain Dispolsen at last!" said the sergeant, opening the little barred window which looked out on the fiord. A small boat was just drawing up at the base of the iron gateway. " Who goes there ?" the sergeant cried in a hoarse voice. " Open!" was the reply ; " peace and safety." " Every one is not admitted here ! Have you a pass ? " "Yes." " I must see for myself; if you lie, by the bones of my patron saint...« less