The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 320: what you’re looking at

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

318 THE BRONZE STATUE. naught now remains for me but to bid edly, and most unreservedly forgive | you farewell—tarewell for ever !’ you,’ exclaimed De Colmar, seizing her ‘My God! and has it come to this?’| hand and pressing it as warmly as he | she exclaimed, in a voice so altered, so} was first wont to clasp it: but almost in- | hollow, so full of despair, that it made | stantaneously releasing it, as a sign that the knight shudder from head to foot, | he was resolved to combat against any aye, and wrung tears from his eyes: | feeling of softness which might prompt then, withdrawing her hands from her )a renew ed selt-abandonment ‘and yield- face, the dark houriraised herself slow- | ing re lapse into the flood of that passion ly until she supported her head upon) which had already hurried him on to the one of her arms, her elbow resting on} very brink of destruction,—he said, the pillow, and, bending upon De ‘Col- |‘ Whatever your motives in deceiving mar a look fraught with a woe-as inde- : me may have been, | cannot forget that scribable as it was unfeigned, she said, you have loved me; and, in separating ‘Yes, we must bid each “other farewell | from you, for ever, rest assured that you for ever! ‘There is now no alternative, will be followed by my prayers, and by and, since the first excess of despair is| my friendship. But will you not vouech- passed, I am already striving to nerve | safe some explanation of those mysteri- myself to meet my destiny withbecom-|ous incidents which have brought us . ing fortitude. But one thing 1 am bound | to this lamentable crisis ?" to mention in justice to myself: for,| ‘What is it that you require to whatever misrepresentations I may have | know ?’ asked Satanais, hastily brush- made to you, Ernest, whatever arts and | ing away the tears that had started forth wiles | may have practised in order to open her long ebon lashes. ensnare you in inextricable meshes,| ‘'l'he venerable Bernard has brought ' however great my duplicity has been, | down his history to that point where he however extensive have been the rami-| believed the Baroness Emilia and her fications of the deception which I have daughter Gloria to have perished in the carried on, alike on my own account and|ruins of Manfredo Castle,’’ said the under the influence of another—yet, so- | knight. . lemnly and sacredly do | declare that}; ‘Yes, I can well understand how from the very instant I first met you in| much Bernard was enabled to reveal, the ‘T'aborite encampment, I have loved | and where his history must have ne- you with an ardor, an enthusiasm, and | cessarily broken off,’ remarked Satanais, 1 a worship such as never animated wo-|in a profoundly musing tone. ' man’s heart before. Yes, we must se-| ‘hen you can comprehend likewise parate, we must say farewell for ever !| how much remains for you to clear up But I beseech, I implore you not toquit|and explain,’ returned De Colmar. me in harshness and anger: I pray and|* You perceive that I have avoided re- © entreat you, Ernest, to forgive me for| proaches—that I have even forgiven : all that has passed, and sometimes to| you for the past, although my own hap- devote a thought to me in future.—| piness is well nigh wrecked, Satanais, Never more will you hear of me, never | by this fatal blow to my heart’s fondest more shall I cross your path. ‘l’o some | aspirations; and the only expiation you distant seclusion shall [ retire; and|can now make,’ added the knight, there, in the deep solitude which can| scarcely able to master his emotions, alone become compatible with an incu-| ‘isto give me a full and frank explana- curable woe, shall I ever ponder upon |tionof all that is still so utterly incom- your image, ever pray for your success, | prehensible to my mind.’ your happiness, and your prosperity in| He paused for upwards of a minute, this life! Spurn me not therefore from | during which he wrestled with an al- you, Ernest, throw me not away from | most superhuman energy against his you with loathing and contempt: but|own feelings; while Satanais vainly breathe one word, one single word, of| strove to check the tears that now kindness and pardon, so that [ may bear | streamed in torrents from her eyes. that word with me into the solitude ‘This grief on your part,’ he contin- which [ am about to seek, and treasure e| ued at length, * would disarm me of all it up as the only gem left to me from | resentment, had | ever for a single mo- i the myriad jewels which formed the ment entertained any towards you. We i halo-coronet of that love wherewith you | havé both a severe trial to undergo—a | so lately crowned my happiness !’ cruel ordeal to pass through; but we ‘Yes, Satanais, [ forgive you for the| must nerve ourselves with becoming past, oh! most sincerely, most unfeign-| fortitude to fulfil our destiny. 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