The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 212: what you’re looking at

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

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I regret that I did not see her, I repeat, inasmuch as I fear that she must need good counsel ‘The sane thought struck me,’ ob- served Gloria. ‘Indeed, ere I suffered her to depart from the Castle of Prague last evening, | besought her to accept ab least the succor of my purse, if not of any other species of assistance ; but she assured me that she was well forti- fied with good advice and amply pro- vided with gold.’ ‘J thank you, Gloria, most sincerely thank you, for your kindness towards Angela Wildon,’ said the knight, with a degree of warmth which made the Daughter of Glory fix her eyes in a searching manuer upon his’ counten- ance. ‘Never can I forget,’ he con- tinued, in the same impassioned tone, ‘the generous manner in which she ministered unto me when she found me lying senseless upon the heath ; ‘ You forget,’ Sir Knight, interrupted Gloria, ‘that all the world is not ac- quainted with your adventure upon that héath;? and a gloom was spread upon tlie lady’s countenance,—that counten- ance naturally so radiant, as she gave utterance to these words. *Ah! pardon me, Gloria,—pardon me,” exclaimed De Colmar, speaking aside to the radiant being. ‘ Not for worlds would [° betray any secret con- nected with your sister! And this ob- servation reminds me that I should ask whether you have received any tidings of’ Satanais since she took her depar- ture from Prague seven days ago ?’ +I have received no intelligence from her, Ernest,’ responded the Daughter of Glory, in a low tone, and with her large lustrous eyes fixed uponthe war- | rior’s countenance as if to read, hy that index of the soul, all the emotions that were agitating in his mind and all the thoughts that were passing in his brain, as the image of Satanais was thns coa- jured up to his mental view. | De Colmar noticed not, however, this deep and searching scrutiny of which he was the object; but as he rode pen- sively onward, a profound sigh escaped’ from his breast. ‘The image of Satanais dwells ever in your memory, Sir Knight,’ said Glo- ria, in a low and deep tone, inaudible to Angela Wildon. ‘IT have prayed fervently to heaven that happiness and prosperity may at- tend upon her,’ responded De Colmar, not intentionally evading the question put to him, but returning the answer which his emotions suggested at the in- stant. A silence of some minutes then en- sued. In the meantime Angela Wildon had experienced a variety of sensations on hearing herself made the subject of” conversation between Sir Ernest de Colmar and the Daughter of Glory,— and her heart was filled with feelings» of ineffable delight as the words which he spoke in her favor fell upon her ears. A species of happiness till then un known, and excelling every earthly joy that had hitherto come within the ex-” perience of the gentle maiden, gradu- ally suffused itself through her entire being; and her whole existence appear- ed suddenly to receive a new impulse and take as it were a new coloring therefrom. There are two incidents in the life of Woman, which are characterised by, an importance and an intensity of inte~ rest which no human language can: de- scribe. One is the occurrence of that. moment when for the first time the conviction springs up in her soul that she loves; the other is the occasion when, either as a wife or as the victim of an illicit love, she experiences that mysterious prompting which tells her that she bears in her bosom the fruit of her honorable passion or of her unblest amor. Yes, these are the two most promi- nent mile-stones which appear in the track of Woman's memory duriug her passage through life; and the former of these incidents had just occurred to’ Angela Wildon! In De Colmar she had previously re- cognised her ideal of all that was noble, sreat, good, and estimable in iman, for while in the Castle of Prague she had come to the conclusion that in Ais cha comicbooks.com