The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

lla la lage ee ee A TE LOL I I I I a “o> ee ee ee lt > -_ Py THE BRONZE STATUE. 179 ——S thither by means of the avenue of ap-| which I must deliver privately to each proach just mentioned, instead of se-| of the three State prisoners.’ cretly and stealthily by the private com- ‘Ascend those stairs, you pretty munication with the river. page,’ said the man, pointing to a flight of steps leading from the farther ex- _— pg 2 ect ee) te er See pce erga Fen ~ ‘Lhe moonlight shone down into that yard and was reflected in the bright ar- | tremity of the hall, * and this key will i | mor of the forest-maiden as she tra-| open the door at the summit. You ie versed it with hasty steps: but she | Will then enter a passage, and be pleased . a | paused for a single moment to glance up | 60 take note that the three first doors ata row of four windows high up in/|0® the right-hand side are those of the Fe; | one of the towers. Lights shone from | ®partments in which the State prison- 4 | those casements: and Angela said to| ets are confined. I need scarcely coun- % herself, with a sigh, ‘The generous sel thee to secure each door again on A Gloria and her two kind-hearted hand-| taking your leave of thei lordships ; | maidens little suspect how treacherous is the use that lam now making of the hospitality J experienced at her hands !’ for it they were all three to escape at the same moment, it might prove diffi- cult tor you and me to detain them.’ ‘Fear not that I shall neglect your At the toot of the tower facing that a Hise ae eo aes ie SOE advice, good ‘laborite,’ exclaimed An- rs one in which Gloria’s apartments were : ae | ' gela, as she received the key which the ii situated, there was a low door set so . Pe sentinel handed to her. i deep in the wall that the recess showed the immense thickness of the solid ma- sonry. Angela tapped with her gaunt- | let ata little sliding pannel which there was inthe upper part ot the huge door, and which was immediately drawn aside by some one within. A dim hight Secretly exulting atthe success which had thus far attended upon her enter- | prise, the heroic young woman ascend- | ed the stairs, which were lighted by an ‘ren censer-lamp placed in a niche; 3) and having opened the door at the head Rid \ j j . > |of the steps, she reached a long, high, a q then appeared ; and the maiden obtain- | Kk nabener earrier On esch side of $i By ed an Indistinct view of a countenance! ,. | : ee ne , vy i this passage there were six doors, ever - surmeunted by a steel-cap. ao ee _ " . one fastening with a massive bolt; and ‘Open, worthy sentinel!’ exclaimed ) thus nothing could be more sloomy ¢ Angela, rendering her voice as mascu- | . ar 5 my than “Fini 'the aspect of the place in which the line as possible. th r ‘maiden now found herself. Fer the idea naturally struck her that if she were to fail in the undertaking which / a ee eS oe Eo | nd ~ , 7s * - ¢ < ae a - - * * * ‘To whom am [ to open ?’ demanded the ‘l'aborite soldier thus addressed, and who, itappeared, was on guard inside she had in hand. she herself would #i- the tower. _ |evitably be thrown into one of those .% ‘T'o one who can give thee the pass-| gungeon-cells, the massive doors of if word, friend,’ was the maiden’s prompt | which frowned upon her on either side. _ reply. ‘And that pass-word ?’ said the man, interrogatively. ‘ Litzka, the Firebrand of Faith,’ re- joined Angela, in the same bold and de- cided tone. Unless, indeed, there were some sove- reign virtue or talismanic influence in ‘the ring which the White Lady had given her and which she wore in the little velvet bag suspened beneath her ‘raiment to her neck—that ring which, in case of extremity—and only in such /a case—she was to present to the Cap- tain General of the ‘laborites ! } The ‘T'aborite uttered not another syllable, but hastened to draw back the heavy bolts and unloose the massive chain, the end of which fell with a clanking sound upon the stone-pave- ment within: the door was then opened —and Angela entered a low, arched hall, lighted by an iron lamp suspended to the centre of the groined ceiling. ‘What are your commands, young page ?’ inguired the sentinel, complete- ly deceived as to Angela’s sex: ‘from whom do you come? and whither do you wish to go” ‘I come from the Captain-General,’ responded the maiden, boldly and un- hesitatingly ; ‘and I have a message But while we are thus speculating upon the risks which she incurs and the probable means of salvation which she possesses, the heroic maiden has drawn back the bolt of the first door on the right hand side of the passage; and in a vaulted chamber fitted up with a tolera- bly generous view to the comfort of the inmate, she finds herselfin the presence of an individual of tall form, handsome countenance, and noble mien, and whose years were still in their prime. Rising from his seat, the prisoner surveyed our heroine with mingled curi- comicbooks.com