The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 197: what you’re looking at

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

her suit of complete armor and with the vizor closed. burst into the callery, may be described in a few words. Lhe Baroness Hamelen had started to her feet with an exulting cry; De Colmar, utterly taken by surprise, was THE BRONZE STATUE. 19S { foree through the steel helmet and the fe | ‘crashing skull. 4 | A shriek burst from the baroness, and i. | then she became suddenly silent and | completely motionless, watching with { in the power of the three sworn servi- tors of the Bronze Statue: and the do- mestic was standing a little way apart, ready to afford assistance to the brayos, if his aid were needed. | But the sudden appearance of our heroine so startled the three armed men that they relaxed their hold for an in- stant on the knight, who, availing him- self of this circumstance, broke away | from them, drew his sword as if it were a gleam of lightning flashing from his scabbard, and in another moment was by the side of Angela. For although he had not the slightest idea who the armed being was—miuch less that it was a female, and that female the forest-maid- en—yet he instinctively saw by the way in which she had rushed in and the attitude she took with her drawn sword in her hand, that the arrival was of friendly intent towards himself and of hostile import to his enemies. ‘The Baroness Hamelen screamed and darted behind the three bravos, as if to place them between herself and the vengeance which she felt to be so justly her due; and then the ruffians sprang forward to make a desperate on- Slaught upon the knight and Angela. | But sturdily and resolutely were they met; and the domestic, wielding a sword with which he was provided, in- stantaneously joined the masked assail- ants. The odds were thus four to two, and of the two one was a woman! ‘Back, villains!’ cried De Cohmar, ‘or you will force us to shed your blood ‘Yield not—retreat not—I command you!’ exclaimed the baroness to the servitors of the Bronze Statue. ‘ Drive them away from the door, and I will hasten forth to procure additional as- sistance !° | Then will we maintain our position | here, or perish!’ spoke the musical voice of Angela—that voice to which a more masculine tone was imparted by the metallic sonorousness which it de- rived from the helmet whence it came. And as the heroine gave utterance to De Colmar’s weapon cleft another’s head in twain, cutting with tremendous! had reached their ears in another part | doubtless give me the information which | | ; /8worn servitors of the Tribunal of the a2 these words, she stretched one of the| Bronze Statue rushed into the Gallery | - ry armed men senseless at her feet. while | of Porcelain V ases; for the clash of ——— = 2 al - se. —, 4 . — ee 4 6 & 0 | ee _ a a gm .3 wi. + es ee the acutest suspense the progress of the fight, which was now waged upon { ‘more equal terms. For at present the ; combatants were two to two—Sir Er- nest de Colmar against the domestic, and Angela against the remaining armed servitor. But scarcely a minute did the conflict last; for the knight ran the menial through the heart with the good sword, and the armed servitor’s weapon sud- if denly snapping in halves, he surren« i dered to Angela at discretion. » Then did it happen that although our heroine succeeded in worsting two of the four opponents, yet in neither in- stance was she fated to take a life: for one of the men whom she vanquished /was only stunned, and the latter had declared himself beaten. On the other hand, Sir Ernest de Colmar’s two ene- mies lay dead at his feet! Ihe instant that the conflict termina- ted in the overthrow of her myrmidons, yy the Baroness Hamelen gave vent to her anguish, her terror, and her rage in a long rending scream, and then, totally overpowered by the violence of her ex- cited passions, she fell senseless on the floor. De Colmar and Angela hastened to bind the arms and legs of the man who had surrendered ; and, having thus ren- dered him powerless, they endeavored to bring back the baroness to conscious- /ness—tor the knight’s anxiety was now ‘to force from her lips a confession of 'what had become of his two pages. But although her heart beat and her lips quivered, thus affording unmistak- able sigus that life was not extinct, yet for want of proper restoratives De Cols mar and Angela could not succeed in recovering her. ‘Ab! a thought strikes me!’ sud- denly ejaculated the knight; and has- tening to the spot where the man who had surrendered to Angela was lying bound hand and foot, he said, * You can I seek concerning two gallant youths—’ But at this moment the door was burst open, and five or six more of the <t arms and the shrieks of the baroness comicbooks.com