The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. 111i were suspended in the city, and all} ***Miserable mortal,’ said the Fiend hearts were fill of expectation. Itwas}of Darkness, in that sonorous voice early in the morning that the physicians} which rolled on his ears like a knell, were summoned to attend upon the} proclaiming his doom; ‘you availed queen; and at midday precisely the | yourself of my services in the hour of anxiously awaited event took place.| your bitter meed, and you have basely But what was the consternation of [l-| sought to fly from: the condition where- dirim, when the intelligence was com- | upon my succor was granted. Prompt- municated to. him that Almeria had|ed by the Armenian priest, whose vir- borne him twin daughters | tues are abhorrent to my mind, and on ‘Terrible was the effort that it cost| whose head I will wreak full soon a him to conceal his emotions, as he re- | bloody vengeance—prompted by him, I ceived the congratulations of his minis-| say, you thought to dedicate your first- ters and the grandees of the kingdom;| born child to heaven; and, behold, the and if they did observe an expression | royal Almeria has presented you with of chagrin upon his countenance, they | two daughters at the same birth. Can attributed it to a certain feeling of dis- | younot understand, therefore, that while appointment at not having been blest /one of these babes is devoted to heaven, with a male heir. For according to the |} the other is dedicated to me? But f laws and usages of Mussulman coun-| seek not to deprive you at present of tries, females cannot reign. But the en- | that child which has thus become mine. , thusiasm of the population was never-| No, the possession of the miserable in- theless great when the tidings were; fant is not what I seek; my views are bruited abroad throughout the city ; and | to be fulfilled and my aims accomplished in the meantime Ilidirim, taking Hera- | in another manner.” clius aside, demanded in a tone tremu-| ‘*‘* Then there is hope—oh! there is lous with emotion, and hoarse with con- hope !’ exclaimed Ilidirim, now raising | pt centrated horror: ‘* What is to be done | his head and ventvring to look up at the —what will be the result—how stands} King of Darkness, who stood like a the infernal compact now ?” mighty shadow, sombre, dread, and in- ‘The birth of twins was a casualty | comprehensible. which we foresaw not, and thought not} ‘** Hope!” repeated Satan, with o of,’ responded the Armenian, in whose | mocking laugh; “how often’and how voice there was likewise a profound sor- | thrillingly does poor, weak, miserable row. “I know not how to advise or| Man give utterance to that word, dur- how to act, save by appealing to the ing his short career on earth, and how mercy of Him who controls all human | constantly does he cherish a delusion ! affairs, and who will not abandon to Sa-| But if all that I am about to say to thee, tan those whom he chooses as his elect.” | O, Ildirim! can constitute hope, then ‘“ "Then you have no hope to give | cling to it—hug it—feast upon it,” con- me, reverend father!” murmured the | tinued the Evil One, with an infernal unhappy Ildirim, covering his face with | raillery in his tone, that cut like a two- his hugds ; and bending forwards, he|edged sword into the heart of the allowed free vent to hisanguish. He-|wretchedking. ‘ Yes, keep thebabes,” raclius, filled with grief, retired to his| exclaimed Satan; “and thou wilt soon own chamber, in order to pray in soli- | distinguish which belongs to heaven, tude forthe celestial inspiration to guide | and which to me. Beautiful shall they him how to act as a counsellor and a | both become—oh ! transcendantly beau- friend towards the royal pair; and/|tiful; but the loveliness of the former scarcely was [idirim left alone when he | shall be that of heaven’s own radiant felt a hand laid heavily upon his shoul- | beings, whereas that of the latter shall der. lie knew the touch—Oh! yes, he |be of the dark splendor of the fallen knew it the very instant that he expe-|angels. And to this one, which is mine, rienced it, for it was the same as on/shalt thou give the name of Satanais, that memorable evening when he Jay | thus marking her as the daughter of Sa- crouching and grovelling upon the| tan from the first hour of her birth. Do ground at the foot of the tree, after his | this; and I will leave the infant in the defeat by Mansour; and, recoiling now |arms of her mother: disobey me, and I from that touch as if from the contact} will at once claim the execution of our of aserpent, he groaned in the bitter- | compact, and tear the infant from thine ness of his spirit, and raised not his|Almeria’s embrace, even before thine eyes to meet those orbs which he felt} eyes.” were fixed upon him. ‘* No, no! spare the babe!” ex- comicbooks.com