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Penny Dreadfuls, 1850 · page 318 of 400

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The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 318: Penny Dreadfuls, 1850

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he * Ps er “% ad eS eo i te ‘ a . —h-a-~= « ~=- ee ee > ee ee oe ae - a _- i > & Pe ox : << ~~~ a a ee - . ® a . - . - « . . | —_ z. 7] -< . - “~saZ » - - . - = +. = _ . WF «tind 2ts = 316 THE BRONZE STATUE. mediately afterwards Linda and Bea- CHAPTER LXXVITI. trice crossed the threshold, closing the door behind them; and Sir Ernest de| THE DECEIVER AND THE DECEIVED. Colmar, hastily quitting Bernard, ap- proached the young maidens, who were| ‘T'nE interior of the cell was lighted evidently startled on perceiving that|/by a lamp; and on the outside of a they were not alone on the summit of| humble pallet, the superb Satanais was the Donjon. ‘reclining. She had not laid aside any ‘How fares it with your mistress| portion of her apparel; but her long now ?’ inquired De Colmar. | sable hair flowed in a glossy cloud over Reassured by recognising the voice—| her shoulders, and on her arm was the for they at first feared lest some strange | bandage that old Bernard had originally intruders had visited the tower—Linda| fastened there, and which the hand- and Beatrice advanced to meet the} maidens had adjusted. knight; and, in reply to his, question,| ‘The moment that Sir Ernest de Col- the elder sister informed him that Sa-| mar appeared upon the threshold, Sa- tanais had just awakened from the re-|tanais raised herself partially on the freshing slumber in which he had left} couch and threw an anxious glance of her nearly three hours previously. piercing scrutiny upon his countenance. ‘And our beloved mistress has anx-|That regard of fire—rapid and pro- lously inquired after your excellency,’| found, and flung with a sort of affright observed Beatrice. ‘Indeed, on awak-|—was meant to fathom the depths of ening from her sleep, her first thought! his soul, as if she were well aware that was for you; and she sent us forth with |a crisis in her destiny had arrived, the the idea that you might possibly be|result of which depended upon the somewhere in the vicinage of the Don-| thoughts that were revolving in the ‘on.’ mind of her lover. ‘Then you were about toseek me,| Their looks met—her’s fraught with fair maidens?’ said De Colmar, in-/| that penetrating keenness of acute sus- quiringly. pense and torturing anxiety—and jis ‘We should have descended to the| expressing a profound sorrow, mingled court-yard on the chance of finding| with a gentle upbraiding. Satanais felt your excellency,’ answered Linda ; ‘for| that her worst fears were about to re- we thought it probable that you might! ceive their confirmation ; and, unable to not yet have retired to the chamber pre-| stifle the sob which swelled in her pared for you—if indeed any such pre- parations have been made at all for your excellency’s comfort. but our object was to relieve your excellency of the anxiety which you experienced on be- half of our mistress, and to convey the assurance that she experiences little in- convenience from the wound inflicted by the Carthusian priest.’ ‘It would afford me satisfaction to obtain a few minutes’ interview with the Lady Satanais,’ said De Colmar. ‘I will hasten and impart your ex cellency’s desire to my mistress,’ re- turned Linda; and she immediately tripped lightly back to the cell. ‘Were I atthe point of death, Er- In a couple of minutes she reap-| nest, I should implore you to relieve peared with a message to the effect| me from the terrible state of suspense that Satanais would be delighted to re-| into which your looks and manner have ceive Sir Ernest de Colmar’s proposed | just plunged me,’ answered the: magni- visit; and while Linda and Beatrice | ficent creature, her voice sounding tre- remained upon the roof of the Donjon mulously clear as a golden bell, the me- to converse with old Bernard, the|lody of which vibrates upon the gale knight entered the rude turret-chamber | that half drowns it at the same time. occupied by the Daughter of Satan. ‘Then you are aware, Satanais,’ said the knight, the rich masculine sounds of his own voice being subdued into an intonation of melancholy pathos—‘ you handsome features of the warrior with looks that rapidly changed to terror and dismay. Closing the door, approaching the couch, and seating himself by the side of that humble pallet, Sir Ernest de Colmar took the hand of Satanais, and contemplating her for upwards of a minute in profound silence, he at length said, ‘ Do you feel yourself strong enough and sufficiently composed to converse with me upon matters of some impor- tance ?’ LL LLL LLL A ALAA Al ALAA LL LC Lt til a ey comicbooks.com throat, she continued to gaze upon the >