The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 280: what you’re looking at

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

— — eet ~ . - yee ig Ce ee, ee A " — -_ - oo = -* a — ania + 4 i — ss —_ ~ - | 2 a Sena aie i tog pee me ~~ ~ — o : ~ 4 - —s | - — « aS hn rea - * a * a a. " 4 — egret es oo a, — * %® ~~ - « ~ t pt - Fee ow |! —-.- .. ® . ~ - * — _ a > . > Pe, - rs » = oo ine te the Linh cease ede - a gg lil i =. Pom - ane - — a a ee ee eS ee ems - . ~~ - “ jo~oa ~ . none +, 6 oi a" all ed i Lh ; a -— | = ° os a a. * © & & - os @ .> 4* . . - = , = —s a® - * —- aa . ~ > se Mie ; ee = »- — oo meee ee ae a ee = 7 —_~“<—“=—<—— = «<= _ et Eee ge eg ee LL i. ota i « -¥ x — wl ee —— at. . =. Te a : a 5 ae SS eet ene EE Pe 8 eer, Oe eee oO = ° a ~— = * - -~ - = - -* . este . Ss: . aa = - ’ on 7 —— - 2 _— ~ & «= “es - a * —— + es Me Ko se Ee + Ss oe es 4 Bey. i. a SO- we - eal “ = —s 2" 4-2 teen =- er ea 8 -_ ¥ .-* = . =7 22 c~¥ : — P ee ue ye we eee oy ey ee “wee of = -~ - * - a ia e ase Cote +e Sam Po . * — 2. a —_ ~~ ~~ - ae _~ ~_. _— ~o om Pa a . < ~-* . ——— —— ieee ae Poo Tee a) - ee + sn Sat ogee ee Ae ° »" -* *\) ba! = - 4 ‘ “ - -— = ~™" ek a > <2 or ~~ 4 toe ee = “ a - 2 ' = ‘ ~ >= * » “a . See ee : : Pao oe 7 . Dine os * - otoe in >a , > - rea % ~ —- e Mg > = r = * ° - mg = b a - eae ie - — e wat oe ~~ > a =< » * % Orr ols re . —- - m= % <2 em Yr ees — 2 a se Lee -> ~<a Fee 278 THE BRONZE STATUE. whose life-blood his sword had drunk within the space of a minute anda half! | gorget from his neck and removed his helmet, but he merely fixed upon her The remaining servitor turned and} his glazing eyes with an air of vacaney, fled precipitately, and, swift as an ar- row, did the Austrian knight dash to- wards the entrance at the foot of the tower containing the spiral staircase. The priest had already gained the threshold; but there he paused for an instant and turned to glance at the spot where he had left his followers combatting in a circle round De Colmar and the forest-maiden. No words can, however, depict the an when he perceived the altered ap- pearance of the scene! Ib acompara- tively few seconds had that change been effected, asifby magic! Onthe ground lay five of his servitors, and the sixth was at that moment flying precipitately and could not give utterance to a word. Almost immediately his jaw fell, hig breast heaved with a painful respiration, and the vital spark fled for ever! ‘The forest-maiden turned away ra- ther in mournfulness than in horror from the ghastly spectacle; and she murmured to hersolf, ‘Ch! that the crimes of men should lead to such ef- ' fusion of blood and loss of life! And blood has been spilt. by my hands, and horror and amazement of the Carthusi- | — lives have been taken. by the weapon > which L wield! But in every case has it been on the side of a noble chivalry against base and murderous bravos, or round an angle of the adjacent ruins. Angela Wildon was stooping down to ascertain whether any of the foemen yet survived, ard De Colmar was rush- now beheld at a glance the miraculous change which the aspect of affairs had assumed ! At the same instant, from another part of the ruins, the knight’s two grooms were hastening to the spot from which had emanated the clash of wea- pons, and the Joud voices that had reach- ed their ears outside the wall of the castle ; and those men were followed by Linda and Beatrice, who, alarmed by the same menacing sounds, were hur- rying with terrified countenances to the scene where so much had taken place in so short atime.. Such was the prospect which met the Carthusian’s view as he swept his rapid glance around; and perceiving that his only chance of safety was in flight, he darted away with incredible speed, turned the angle of the Donjon, plunged into the maze of ruins near, | else in self-defence! My woman's na- ture recoils from the fumes of the san- 'guine tide thus poured forth; but when I think of the cause and the necessity, [ feel as a heroine! O Ernest, Ernest! fortunate was it for thee that by acci- ish- | dent I deviated from the right road, and ing towards the place where the Car- thusian had paused, and whencs he See — = — SS —— —_ ' and was instantanevusly lost te the view. For a moment Sir Ernest de Colmar | thought of following him; but remem- | bering that Satanais was wounded, and that he had seen her borne senseless | away from the scene of conflict, he | abandonea nis purstut of the priest, and rushed up the spiral staircase. In the meantime Angela Wildon was sorely afilicted to find that four of the men stretched upon the csround were already dead, and that the fifth was just’ ‘breathing his last. She loosened the “ Va that curiosity prompted me to visit these ruins! Another moment. and thou would’st have been immolated to the fury of that vile priest and his too faithful myrmidons.’ Thus mused Angela. Wildgn for a few moments as she turned away from the spot where the five corpses now encum- bered the ground, and where the soil was dyed with the crimson flood in which their lives had ebbed away. She now obseryed the two grooms and the handmaidens hastening towards her,. the former with their swords drawn in their hands, and the latter with a terrible consternation depicted upon their features. But Angela speedily reassured them all relative to the issue of the combat and the safety of De Colmar, although the joy attend- ant upon these tidings was considerably damped by the intelligence that Sata- nals was wounded. ! ‘Wounded!’ was the cry that burst simultaneously from the lips of Linda and Beatrice, and at the same instant they exchanged looks in which horror and grief expressed even a deeper and more mysterious terror still. ‘'Tranquillise vourselves, maidens.’ exclaimed Angela, adopting the conso- latory tone and manner of her assumed masculine character; for the vizor was still closed over her face, and her voice was disguised. as much as possible.— ‘The wound which your mistress has received was inthe arm; and no seti- ous consequences need be apprehended. comicbooks.com