The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 307: what you’re looking at

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

~ : ° > - eam ol . 2 ” ~ ‘ - = ° — = THE BRONZE STATUE. 305 Fs ‘* Knough! enough!” ejaculated II- | ded, pointing significantly towards the bit degardo. ‘* Here, take my purse—de-} corpse enveloped in the sack. ra part—and when that gold is spent, re-| ‘* It is my destiny which thus irre- turn to me and | will give you more.” | sistibly hurries me on from misfortune a) ‘* My lord, you cannot thus shake|to misfortune,” murmured the baron. me off,” said Korali. ‘ ‘he murder|‘ Here, take my signet-ring as a pledge which you have doubtless committed, | that I will yield to thy demands,” he 3H and the secret of which you came forth | added aloud, as he tendered the jewel 4 to bury beneath the shining bosom of|to the crafty Korali. ‘+ To-morrow you the Moldau i will seek my presence in the castle, as ‘* O horror!” cried the wretched | if there were no previous understanding baron, shuddering from head to foot.| between us; you will throw yourself at ‘¢ Wretch—villain—who dare to level| my feet—you will implore my pardon such an accusation against me ?”’ —and, appearing to be moved by your - **'Thou canst not deny ¢h2s isa corpse, | entreaties, I shall forgive you. A few of my lord,’’ exclaimed Korali, kicking the | deys must then elapse, and so soon as n sack with his foot; ‘+ and even if your’s| the excitement produced by your re- iG’ were not the hand which dealt the/ turn shall have subsided, I will restore 4s death-blow, every circumstance tells| you to your ancient office. Let this be marvellously against you. Listen, then, | the understanding between us: and now to the demand which | make, for [I am/| leave me.” ; now in a position to dictate my own ‘Korali was satisfied with the ar- terms. Yes, you may start—you may!rangement and hastened away. The lay your hand upon your poinard: but| Baron of Ildegardo then consigned the you cannot intimidate me. Have | not| murdered priest to the waters of the already told you that | am a desperate | Moldau; and, returning to the castle, man? Well, if your lordship will have |he spent several hours in effacing with peace, then peace it shall be ; but if you| his own hands the bloody traces of the say war, then a war to the death shall} tragedy from the floor of the chamber it prove.” reine it had taken place. The first : | . a — +«* No, let there be peace between|beams of dawn were already glinting us, Korali,”’ said Ildegardo, finding him- | from the orient heaven as he sought his self completely in the power of the ruf-| couch, where his sleep could not have fian.”’ | been tranquil or refreshing. ‘** Peace it shall be,’’ he responded.| ‘ ‘I'he arrangement made with Korali ‘s+ And now listen to my terms. ‘lhe| was carried into effect; and the friends, adventure of the sack containing the| vassals, and tenants of the Baron Ilde- corpse will remaic hushed up in my/|gardo were struck with mingled asto- breast ; and you need never tremble Jest | nishment and dismay, when they learnt my tongue should blab. But, on the|that the faithless and long discarded other hand, you must restore me to my | steward had been again received into old situation of intendant and chief ste- | his lordship’sfavor. lor myself, 1 made ward of your castle and estates; and 1| no comment, fearful lest my motives in promise to administer your lordship’s | interfering might be misunderstood and affairs wisely, prudently, and honestly.’’ | attributed to jealousy; nor did I mur- ‘++ Ask me anything but this, Korali,’’| mur when, at the expiration of a few exclaimed Ildegardo; ‘for my wife, days, | was ordered to deliver the keys my friends, my tenants, and my vasgals of the castle into the hands of my suc- will regarde me as a madman, if I dis-| cessful rival. But although thus super- miss the faithful Bernard and restore|seded in my post, I received a private you to the stewardship.”’ assurance from the baron that he enter- +++ Your lordship’s wife, friends, ten- | tained the highest esteem for me, and ants, and vassals will think far worse of| that he was impelled by circumstances you,” responded Korali, ‘‘if it be pro-| which he could not control. <A species claimed that the Baron of Ildegardo is a| of sinecure was likewise created for me midnight assassin !”’ in his lordship’s household, so that I ‘hou dar’st not accuse me thus, might not become subordinate to Korali | . "«< * SS Se minion !’? exclaimed my noble master,| nor lose the emoluments which I| had goaded to desperation. been enjoying during my stewardship. ‘+7 need only appeal to all the cir-| Nevertheless, | was far from happy— cumstances of the case,’ was the inso-| not on my own account, because | can lent rejoinder; ‘“‘ and here is a witness| defy my bitterest enemies, if I have whose evidence is undeniable,’ he ad-| any, to accuse me of selfishness: but I — . eT é comicbooks.com