The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 276: what you’re looking at

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

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Fs a -~ 5k a, aie) ; -- i <= =3 = me ! . r ee ep a eT OE BES ART RAR OR] YG Sy Pte all r i a *- — Vet onto e ae tS + «4 —_ os = > ee F - “ ee _? . ~" 7 « == \ « ’ - - -_ <= 7 » i” a ‘ r ~ pe et 274 THE BRONZE STATUE. cenes associated with this desolate scene?’ said the knight, in the most soothing tone of love’s tenderness.— ‘But you are better now, my own 5a- tanais ? and will you rest yourself for a few minutes here to recover your com- posure, ere I re-conduct you to the spot where we left vour handmaidens ?” \ ¢ Yes, | will repose here for a mo- | His countenance, though stamped with melancholy, wore an expression of be- nevolence ; and his mild blue eyes and placid lips indicated a soul at peace with ment,’ replied Satanais, seating herself | upon ahuge fragment of the battlement that had given way; then, bowing her head upon her hands, and resting her elbows upon her knees, she appeared God and man, and which was awaiting resignedly and without alarm for the su- preme moment when it should be sum- moned from the sphere of the latter in- to the presence of the former. From the venerable person of this old man, the eyes of De Colmar and Sata- nais were'simultaneously cast around in order to ascertain whence he could to be either abandoning herself to a tor- | rent of gushing thoughts, or else to be | ‘straining every nerve to conquer her emotions and recover her seli-posses- sion. De Colmar would fain have question- ‘ed from that. direction. | have come; for they were close by the tower containing the spiral staircase, and they knew that he had not emerg- gut they now remarked a door standing open in the tower, at the angle diagonally opposite ; ~ and that open door revealed the:interior ed her respecting the cause of her agi- | of a small room fitted up with but a lit- tation, and also to learn how any portion ‘tle better appearance of comfort than a of her wild and romantic oriental his- | hermit’s cell. tory could possibly be connected with | a ruined castle in Bohemia, but he fear- ed to aggravate her distress by fixing her thoughts upon a topic that was evi- dently of a.very painful character. No, rather than force her ideas to dwell on any afflicting subject, he would do all and anything he could to wean them therefrom ; and he was about to address her in terms of tender solace, when the sounds of footsteps and the rustling of carments near, caused nim to turn his head and Satanais to raise her eyes sud- denly at the same moment. CHAPTER LXIX. THE THREE RUINED CASTLES. An old man, somewhat bent with age, and over whose breast flowed a long sil- very beard, was slowly approaching the spot where Satanais was still seated upon the stone, and the Austrian war- rior was standing by her side. was something patriarchal in the ap- pearance of that old man, something well calculated to inspire the profound- est veneration and respect. For his years could not have been less than eighty ; and although he leant upon a staff, and his form was slightly bowed, still there was a certain firmness and a measured assurance in his step which denoted a hale and vigorous old age. He was dressed in grey garments made of plain material, and his long silver hair flowed from beneath a velvet cap. , ' ee eee : ' | There | . : | | ‘at the sume time that his presence was ‘ Venerable man,’ exclaimed De Col- mar, accosting the patriarchal person- age, ‘is it possible that you reside in that place ?’ ‘] have dwelt there for years, and shall die there,’ was the calm responses ‘But did I not overhear you address that lady as if she were. indisposed !— Should such be the case, my cell con- tains pure water from the spring, re- freshments, too, of a frugal nature, but to all of which you are most welcome. Hie thou thither, Sir Knight,’ added the old man, catching a glimpse of the gol- den spurs upon De Colmar’s heels; ‘thy legs are more agile than mine—and fetch thence all that thy suffering com- panion may need. Or if she would pre- fer repose and rest, she may be assured of the enjoyment of tranquillity in. that humble abode.’ Sir Ernest de Colmar thanked the old man for his kindness, and turned to- wards Satanais to ascertain her wishes in respect to the various little attentions which the venerable octogenarian had suggested. But the whole appearance of the Daughter of Satan struck the knight with such a profound surprise that the words he was about to utter died upon his lips. She was still seated upon the stone, but her body was bent for rard, her neck was distended, and she was gazing upon the old man with a mingled intentness and ularm, as if endeavoring to trace in his countenance either the actual lineaments or the likeness which she seemed to remember, and dreading comicbooks.com