The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 110: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

i So 108 THE BRONZE STATUE. iy ‘«* Upwards of three years have | instinct of despair, I started from that | elapsed, my well-beloved Almeria,’ he | trance-like numbness which had held | said, ‘since my dominions were inva-|me powerless and prostrate at the foot Ha Mt ded by King Mansour, who, having de- | of the tree, and rushing after my fugi- bie feated the first army sent out to oppose | tive troops, the courage with which him, advanced upon the capital. 1| desperation armed me was caught by gathered all my available forces, and|them. ‘They listened to my voice—I UbHO went forth to meet the enemy. From|remember calling them to rally—-l re- 6g morning until evening lasted the battle; | collect appealing to them for the sake and the setting sun saw my troops fly- of their wives and children, to turn and ing confusedly from overwhelming num- | strike another blow ere they abandoned bers. Separating myself from them, I|their homes and all they held dear to sank down in despair at the foot of a|the enemy. Nor did I call upon them tree, awaiting death as the only relief | in vain; they rallied around mé, tue from shame, dishonor, and a nation’s|combat was renewed, and in hour the wrath. The dreadful fatigues which | invading army lay scattered and strewn I had endured throughout the day and | But all this «as uatural enough, Alme- the apparently irreparable ruin which ria: the sudden resuscitation of ener- had burst upon my devoted head, crush- | gies for a moment crushed, this was ed me down to the very dust; and a|the retrieving influence, and there was stunning sensation—a kind of palsy of | nought supernatural therein. Never- the heart and brain—wrapt me as it| theless, from time to time, during the were inatrance. But my morbid fan-| three years which have elapsed since cy awoke into feverish activity; and I|that memorable period, the thought dreamt a waking dream—a dream so’ has haunted me that such an infernal terrible that you will scarcely wonder |compact was possible, that it might if it should have since haunted me from | have taken place—”’ time to time. For methought thatthe| ‘‘* No—Oh! no,” interrupted Alme- Enemy of Mankind appeared, and avail- | ria, unable however to cast off the cold ing himself of the utter prostration of | shudder which crept slowly—slowly— my fortunes, tempted me with an offer | slowly over her entire form, like a chill too dazzling to refuse, but involving a| and clammy snake coiling itself by de- condition too frightful to breathe, be-| grees around her from head to foot. loved Almeria, 1n your ears.” ‘+It is impossible that heaven could | - ‘** Oh! tell me all, dearest [idirim !’’| permit such an appalling temptation, said the queen. ‘‘ Let me know the} much less so tremendous a sacrifice as extent of your sufferings, that I may |that to which it would seem to lead. impart the full measure of consolation.’”’ | You have rightly accounted for it all, haa ‘* Be it so, my well beloved,’ con-|my beloved husband: ‘twas your fe- ) tinued Idirim, yielding to her demand. vered imagination which engendered a ‘‘ Methought, then, that Satan proposed | supernatural idea, and that idea inspir- to raise me up from despair—to place | ed the energy which consummated the me upon the pinnacle of a conqueror— | natural events that followed.” and to scatter Mansour’s host like chaff} ‘Such must indeed be the true before the wind, on condition that [ | reading of the mystery,” said Ildirim. would devote my first-born child to|‘*But now I come to the event of this him xn a pe oe day, Almeria; and you can readily com- $46 dirim! this is terrible,’? ex-| prehend that when vour 1 rr claimed Almeria, pressing closer to her ) hetetnnd in my eh ‘the pate pe husband and casting around looks of af-|that our love would in due time be fright. ‘But you are certain that it | blessed by offspring, the tidings, at first was a dream?” she cried, those an-|so welcome, were the next moment guished and unquiet glances settling | turned into the knell of despair and upon his countenance. death by the startling reminiscence of ‘+ Beyond all doubt it was a dream,” | the compact with Satan. I broke away responded Ildirim, in a tone so com-| from thy presence—I hurried hither— pletely re-assuring that Almeria was and then my imagination, fevered and nig convinced and tranquillized. ‘* Me-/|disordered again, showed me a new , thought, however,” he continued, ‘that | phase of the awful dream which com- | {assented to the proposal thus insidi- | menced three years ago. Methought Rr ously made by Satan : but it must have | that Satan re-appeared—that he stood ¥ been that, acting under the influence | by my side—that he reminded me of of my fevered fancy, impelled by the |the compact—that I implored him to -F. a oo - - 7 ? ” ~ seas 4 — Fee — & —_— ee oe - 7 - — oo _——_ « * 7 ~~? . comicbooks.com