The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

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ST ESOS YO . tim Cp. t= © - /} _—— oe yee - > + — ~ THE BRONZE STATUE. a a2" eee rs a quem “+ ve > 2%, eid marble pillars; and in these aisles were;saints! restore the wanderer to our arms— several monuments surrounded ‘by the|and her sins shall be forgiven : sculptured <¢ffigies of bishops, abbots,} The voices and the music stopped sud- monks, and nuns. denly ; there was an awful pause ;—and the By passing amidst these tombs, the|eyes of all present were fixed upon the Knight was enabled to gain the close vicin- | ve'led lady whom Zitzka had led forward ity of the chancel w ithout being observed | to the front of the altar. ‘I'he nuns extend- by any one present in the church : and on ed their arms towards her, as if imploring taking his stand between two high monv- | her to fly to them and receive a holy wel- ments, he placed himself in such a position | Come: the lips of the two priests moved in as tosee everything that was progressing, | Silent prayer ; and the 'aborite chief, in without being seen. his warlike accoutrements, scowled upon On the altar which stood in the ehancel, | the scene with almost a ferocious glaie in several wax-lights were burning: the two | his piercing eye. priests were now stationed there :—and| How perfect were the grace and ele- kneeling around, in a semi-circle, the nuns | gance which blended in that form, robed in appe: ared to be absorbed in deep devotion. the viigin white? The drapery intended The majestic roll of the organ now swel- | to env elope the faultless figure, added in- led beneath the vaulted roof and echoed describably to the flowing outlines of its grandly through the groined archways of charming symmetry ; and it struck Sir Er- the aisles: then followed a combination of | nest de Colmar that if Satanais were to ex- the voices of the priests and the nuns | change her picturesque garb for that simple chanting the 7'’e Deum in full chorus. The |and modest apparel, her matchless shape effect was solemnly and sublimely interest-| would exactly resemble that of the lady ing: but the greater grew the wonder of| standing before the altar. the Knight that the votaries of the Roman | Slowly she raises her right arm and re- Church should be allowed to perform their | moves the veil from ner countenance ; and midnight mass within a distance of two|then her eyes sweep rapidly round the church as if to assure herself that none are hundred yards of Zitzka’s pavilion! : , : a It however appeared that Sir Ernest de| present save those in the immediate vicin- ity of the altar. Colmar was destined to behold as many But, heavens! the eyes that were thug bewildering mysteries, within the precincts | | tw of the Taborite station, as those which had | revealed! Oh! well might Sir Ernest de Colmar start—and no wonder that it was so startled and amazed him on the previous mat night in the Castle of Altendorf. with difficulty he could suppress the ejacu- lation of surprise which rose to his lips: For, as the grand music and the awe-in- eye Syrah tom h forth | > af ._ « ~ y & spiring chant died slowly away, a door near | ‘OF “1e Superd orbs that now shone forth in all their bnrning power, and all their radiaat the altar opened—and the formidable Zitz- lack bs tie ka made his eppearance, leading forward a D rr cig were | nid O bgctomge an lady clothed in virgin white and having a nad yet i aa not ve. INO. no. it beautiful veil over her countenance. | was impossible! For the exquisite crea- Af , heb the Tab ture who stood before that altar, was of a | eggs mahalo og saya Bhd a iE Ld complexion dazzlingly fair. Her cheeks were ite as he glanced from the altar to the = | tinged with the softest hue of crimson, which priests—from the priests to the nuns—and | at every moment went and came, with the then at the being of faultless form whose lainieatina as sunbeams passing through fair hand he held: but his cheeks became trees covered with roses play upon marble: suddenly purple with rage, and his one eye her hair was of the richest auburn, and in shot forth fire, when the nuns began to the light shining from the altar ‘apeindel weep bitterly—beat their bosoms—clasp their hands in a is] dd like a ‘blaze of gold as it flowed in /uxuri- ‘ cuisp— ate a nguish—and demonstrate | s+ tresses over a neck and shoulders of every possible sign of a fanatic and wild | pearly whiteness. Oh! what glorious masses gfief. ‘to be parted above aforehead so high, and ‘ Where is the strayed sheep ?’ demanded broad, and stainlessly pure that it appeared one of the priests ina loud sonorous voice. | to be the tablet on which a generous soul ‘Hath the Lord restored her to the sheep- ‘and a brilliant intellect had traced the fold ? or doth she blindly and perversely | noblest thoughts. adhere to her resolution of following Her ehwiet were not deeply pencilled— strange shepherd °’ | but they were dark enough to break, as it ‘Here is our sister! here 1s the strayed | were, the extraordinary contrast existing sheep ! chanted forth the soft voices of between that radiant auburn hair, and those the nuns in harmonious mocuiation, while |eyes of indescribable brilliancy. For it the organ gave a faint and low accompa ani- | even seemed to the amazed and bew ildered ment of a tender expression. ‘O guardian’ Sir Ernest de Colmar that the eyes of this a ‘ =<.” L~« ‘Re: = Ca + 7 Sl a le eee ee ee comicbooks.com