The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 207: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. the roseate lustre of crimson curtains in a gorgeously lighted saloon. And hen those eyes—those marvellous, those wonderful eyes—dark as the blackest_ velvet, yet lustrous as if all the power of the sun shone therein—luminous as | when a church is lighted at midnight with a thousand tapers, yet unfathoma- ble as the depths of the ocean! the lips—Oh ! those rich, moist, scarlet lips, opening above the pearly teeth like | its dazzling a luscious fruit revealing seeds within: if it were with such smiles that Eve beguiled Adam when she herself had succumbed to the temptations of Satan, small marvel is there that he fell! The elegant palfrey which Gloria rode was itself all symmetry and grace, with its curvettings half playful and half proud, and its superbly arching neck; and Gloria’s seat was of eleg firmness, showing at a glance that she was alike a bold and graceful equestrian. Her form, so richly rounded in all its | contours, and yet so exquisite in its proportions, yielded as it were to the motion of the palfrey—or rather took a wavy, undulating movement correspond- ing therewith, and resembling the soft vibration of a silken cord when gently shaken. And the position of the radi- ant equestrian exhibited all the sweep- ing, flowing outlines of her shape to the best advantage—throwing out the luxuriant contours into fine relief with the rest—imparting to the bust a more | voluptuous fulness, and to the waist a more delicate symmetry. She was attired in a riding dress of crimson velvet, the skirt of which just suffered the long, slight, exquisitely shaped feet to peer forth in their pol- ished prunella shoes. the dress was open in front; but the | bosom was covered with the richest. black lace, which, though doubled in its folds, was still unable to prevent the dazzling whiteness of the skin from shining through this too diaphanous texture. In a word, Gloria was indeed radiant this morn—transcendant in all her won- drous charms this day—so supernally. so overpowerlngly beautiful, that no language has fitting terms to convey the | complete idea of this magic combina- tion of attractions—this perfect realiza- tion of all the romance of female fasci- nation. upon Sir Ernest do Colmar—and when And | : gant | | his eyes, came back that scene in the The corsage of | When, therefore, she raised her veil : and turned her beaming countenance | | en Se he ee a ae a. es a tll 205 if her eyes suddenly met his own like ‘ lamps of Rosacrucian brilliancy which ¥ some mystic curtain reveals all in @ moment—those eyes that appeared to pour a flood of ineffable light and glow- ing warmth into his very “soul—he felt | daxsied: bewildered, overcome—as on the occasion when he first beheld her . | in the church, or when he met her on | the southern rampart of Prague. But this sensation, bearing such tri- umphant testimony to the power of Gloria’s be: uty, almost instantaneously passed away; for it suddenly seemed | /to De Colmar that the hand which the lady extended towards him was stained with a drop of blood. Yes, though spotless in sooth was that pure and pol- ished flesh, yet in ideality did it appear ‘marked with the indelible stigma of ‘human gore; for, fresh to our hero’s memory, as it were still enacting before grove where the old woman lay mur- dered at the feet of the radiant beauty ! Thus it was almost with a sentiment of disgust that De Colmar felt himself suddenly inspired; and something Hy seemed to revolt, recoil, start back, as i it were, within him, as in obedience to - a knightly courtesy, and also for the pur- pose of concealing his emotion, he bent his head low and touched with his lips the slight, warm, fair hand of the Daughter of Glory. She perceived a change pass sudden- ly over his countenance--she saw that the dazzling effect of her beauty was in & moment succeeded and altogether counteracted by some feeling which sprang up within the knight’s breast— she even penetrated the embarrassment of his manner as he kissed her hand, and for an instant her bosom heaved, -and her cheeks crimsoned, and her blood tingled with indignation. But in another moment—quick as one thought can poss covered all her presence of mak and by a powerful effort subdued all her in- ' surgent feelings, as she repeated within the “depths of her own soul that strange and exulting ejaculation to which she had given vent in the grove on the morn- ing of Dame Martha’s murder—: He zs mine ! he 1s mine 2” —— —_ = we —_ ee = | * . comicbooks.com