The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

©. oP SEs ee . ah i a - Fa ~ -- ~ a | ee > =~? rah i ee ie et “ % ee a * — ‘ ™ eo ° A @ - ie oe © — _— serted by the menials usually in attend | again up the stone steps into the man- 'slion whence she had so fruitlessly en- ance there. ‘Thus far success has waited upon observed the princess; ‘but now us,’ come the difficulty and the danger !’ but massive door standing in the shade of a recess beneath the splendid marble staircase, and a flight of steps appeared, the upper portion being illumined by the lustre of the rosy-tinted lamps hang- ing in the hall. Down these stone stairs the princess THE BRONZE STATUE. deavored to escape. ' behind with the princess, In afew minutes a door was thrown ‘open; and when they had passed, a portal clanged behind them with a din Not a word was spoken by those into whose power Lionel and Konrad had hus speaking, she opened a small}thus fallen; nor did they even know | whether Father Cyprian was still with 'the party of men who were hurrying them onward, or whether he remained | and the two young pages passed, clos-| denoting its massive form and metallic | ing the door behind them; and they | strength; while the echoes which it | found that the lower part of the some- what precipitous descent was lighted by a lamp placed in a niche. Konrad possessed himself of this lamp, and, taking the lead, he advanced | a few paces in front of the princess and Lionel. But scarcely had they proceeded a/ dozen yards alonp the vaulted subter- ranean passage, when a light flashed suddenly from a deep recess, ejacula- tions of mingled surprise and rage fell upon their ears, and in another moment severalarmed men, whose countenances were covered with black masks, rushed upon the princess and the two compan- tons of her flight, At the same instant Father Cyprian, bearing a torch in his hand, appeared npon the scene, exclaiming to his masked dependents, ‘ Slaughter not the youths, but take them prisoners, and they shall become victims to the Bronze Statue and the Virgin’s Kiss !’ CHAPTER XXXIX. THE JOURNEY OF THREE DAYS. At this sudden appearance of the Carthusian priest and his dependants in the black masks, the Princess Eliza- betha uttered a piercing shriek and joined her hands in despair. sword instantly flew from its scabbard, and Konrad, dropping the lamp, like- | wise grasped the weapon which he’ wore ; but resistance was vain; a dozen armed men surrounded them, and they were overpowered in a moment. Then, having been forcibly enveloped and muf- fled in priests’ gowns, the youths were burried along the subterranean passage at a rapid rate, while the screams of | the Princess of Bohemia made them aware that she was being borue back raised, beating in prolonged reverbera- tions, showed that the rapid and myste- ‘rious journey was still continued ina | vaulted subterranean, paved, walled, and roofed with solid masonry. Kven through the darkness of the |cowls which had been drawn over their .countenances, the youths could obtaina | feeble glimpse of the beaming of a torch 'which some one carried in advance: now it paused again, another door was opened, on went the party, the door clanged behind, and the hurried pace | was continued. In about ten minutes ‘from the time when this mysterious march commenced through the silent subterranean, athird door was opened, an ascentof stone steps was mounted, another portal moaned on its hinges, and, having traversed a place which, as well as the youths could judge, ap- peared to be a vast marble hall, they emerged into the open air. Here they stopped short, and a voice exclaimed in a tone of authority, ‘Bring out the horses !? It was Father Cyprian who spoke, and the pages therefore xcquired the certainty that the priest was at the head of the party. | Ina few minutes the trampling of iron-shod hoofs was heard; the youths | | ) | were compelled to mount each a steed, and on the backs of the animals were to their ankles, and passing under the bellies of their horses. The party then rode off at a rapid pace: for an instant the echoes of an arched gate-way fell upon their ears; then the din of the heavy hoofs ona draw-bridge succeed- ed, and in another moment the eques- trians entered upon a hard and gently sloping road, along which they pro- ceeded briskly. For an hour was the journey continu- ed in profound silence; and the reader | will scarcely require to be informed comicbooks.com ; | they bound by means of cords fastened | Lionel’s |