The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 215: what you’re looking at

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

ee ee THE BRONZE STATUE. 213 CHAPTER LIV. ‘Ah! beauty is not the only qualifi- cation which is required to make wo- THE INN, man adorable,’ said De Colmar. * With- in the last few weeks, my dear friend, THe sun was setting behind the wes- | I have encountered three charming be- tern hills as the cavalcade rode up to! ings, each of whom possesses Joveliness the door of a large way-side hostel, the} enough to engender another ‘Trojan first day’s journey terminating at this! war, or make another Anthony lose the point. empire of the world. And yet these Forth from the old, spacious, and | three beauteous creatures are as diffe- straggling building came the landlord | rent from each other as light is from and landlady, the hostler and the female | darkness. First, there was Satanais—’ dependants; and all possible attention | ‘The sister of Gloria, 1 believe ?’ was instantaneously displayed towards | said Angela, inquiringly. I have heard the travellers. For the gilded spurs her spoken of once or twice.’ , upon De Colmar’s heels, and the splen-| ‘* Yes, she is the sister of Gloria,’ re- did apparel of Gloria, together with the | turned De Colmar; ‘and if you have appearance of the page Ermach, the| never seen her, my brave unknown, two handmaidens, and the grooms with | then are you utterly unable to compre- the sumpter-horses, naturally led the in-| hend, from any description which I mates of the hostel to suppose that they | could give, the dark splendor of her were about to receive distinguished| wondrous beauty. But conceive a be- guests. ing having Gloria’s shape, Gloria’s fea- The inn was situated ina lonely spot, | tures, and Gloria’s eyes, and yet whose and belonged neither to town nor vil- | hair is as black as jet, and whose com- lage. It was one of those old way-side | plexion is a deep, transparent olive, or establishments which, combining the! rather a rich bistre though the carna- advantages of farm house and hostel, | tion shows itself upon the cheeks, and furnished their proprietors with two/the blue tracery of sapphire veins is — modes of obtaining a livelihood. ‘Thus! distinctly visible. Yes, immense is the ie the landlord was as clever at driving a | contrast between the Daughter of Glory ; geod bargain for his cattle or his grain, | and the Daughter of Satan; and yet alt at the nearest market-town, as he was| the physical distinction lies in the hair civil and obliging to the guests who| and in the complexion.’ stopped to partake of refreshment or ‘But the moral difference 7’ said An- seek repose beneath his roof. | gela, in a tone which trembled slightly The appearance of so numerous a/| notwithstanding her efforts to steady it; party as that which now stopped at the | for she began to fear that in the enthu- inn, threw the entire estublishment into! siasm wherewith the knight spoke of a bustle, but by no means into confu-| Satanais, she read the answers to those sion. For while the cook instanta-| queries which she had put to herself in neously commenced her preparations in| the morning, and which then defied all the kitchen, the landlord and the hostler | possibility of conjecture. took charge of the travellers’ steeds, and! ‘Ah! moral distinction,’ ejaculated the landlady lost no time in getting| De Colmar; ‘but I must not—no, I chambers ready for the reception of the | dare not express my sentiments on that guests. point,’ he added, rather in a musing When Gloria retired to the apartment | tone to himself than as if continuing thus provided for her, in order to ar-/| the discourse with Angela. ‘ But I told range her toilette ere the supper was | you,’ he exclaimed almost immediately, served up, De Colmar and Angela found | and with an evident desire to give at themselves alone together for a few | least a partial turn to the conversation, minutes in the best parlor which the | «TI told you that I had encountered dur- hostel could afford. ing the last few weeks, three women ‘ What think you, my brave unknown, | whose beauty made more impression of our fair travelling-companion?’ in-| upon my mind than ever did femate quired the knight, tossing aside his) loveliness before. I have already men- plumed cap and throwing himself into|tioned Satanais and Gloria—and the a large arm-chair. ‘third is that very Angela Wildon of ‘I think that she is very beautiful,’| whom you must have doubtless over- answered Angela, unable to stifle the| heard me speak this morning to the sigh which made her virgin bosom heave | Daughter of Glory.’ within the bright cuirass. The forest-maiden was so astounded. comicbooks.com