The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

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Advancing towards the White Lady, | they saluted her with the profoundest respect, mingled with veneration, and she presented Lionel and Konrad to" them in a few touching and appropriate | words. The foremost of the company, who were likewise the oldest, embrac- | | Wildon—the ‘nineteen THE BRONZE STATUE. CHAPTER XLII. | GLORIA AND ANGELA. WeE must now return to Sir Ernest de Colmar, whom we left at the mo-- to the hermit whose Alpine home the} ment when he took leave of Gloria in ‘the grove after the death of Dame at | Martha. Slowly and mournfully did the knight retrace his way to the Golden Falcon, , | ‘and during his walk thither, various and conflicting were the thoughts that oc- cupied his attention. Jn the first place he deplored—bitter- | ter of Glory had perpetrated; for even although she had struck the blow, as he believed, in self-defence, yet the fact that there was blood upon her brow ap- /peared to turn the sunny radiance of her transcendant beauty into a crimson halo! After loving her asa sister for Satanais’ sake, De Colmar could not ‘conceal from himself the startling truth that the interest he had pre viously ex- perienced in her was considerably sub- dued, if not entirely destroyed, by the sanguinary occurrence of that fatal noon. And now he could not help contrast- ing the resplendent Daughter of Glory with the modest and retiring Angela magnificent creature of with the bashful maiden of three-and-twenty—-the superb lady, /whose beauty dazzled and bewildered the senses, with the unpretending ed the youths with a demonstration of | young woman whose charms awoke deep sympathy ; and amongst the group | feelings of the most melting tenderness. they speedily recognised the three | brethren who had originally appeared to them in the sable garments, and osten- sibly fulfilling the duties of executioners. And now the doors opened on the other side of the apartment, and forth came some eighteen or twenty females, clad in the white raiment of the Carme lite order. A plentiful, but plain and homely meal was spread upon the table; and the numerous company took their seats at the board, the White Lady presiding. | | | The comparison which De Colmar thus mentally drew between Gloria and Angela, gradually Jed him to reflect upon the incident that had so recently made him the savior of the rustic maid- en’s life; and he now found leisure to wonder how she could have possibly been placed in such jeopardy. Had she accidentally fallen into the river? ‘or had she experienced foul play? Then, as Lionel and Konrad beheld | the perfect propriety which prevailed, and listened to the edifying conversation These questions could only be answered by herself the next time he should see her; but they reminded him of all she had told him on the previous night re specting Father Cyprian—and he con- that accompanied the repast, they could | not help contrasting in their own minds | the behaviour of the male and female | guests now gathered together, with that | of the brilliant assemblage to which they had been twice introduced at that man- sion near Prague where the silver bell | tinkled at midnight ! ceived it to be very possible that the priest might in some manner be con- nected with her perilous adventure. Lhe remembrance of Angela’s com- munications in reference to the Car- thusian now struck the knight’s mind in another sense ; | for he suddenly re- collected that he had not uttered, dur ing the interview with Gloria, a single comicbooks.com ily deplored the deed which the Daugh- | —— —— ee —_ - _—-—— - +