The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 332: what you’re looking at

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

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It was on that occasion when [| to gainsay him.’ journeyed hither from Prague to com- ‘True,’ observed the baron in a mus- | municate certain instruction to your son ing tone. ‘ You are aware that I have relative to the defence of the castle, in | and unchange- | case the Taborites should make a diver- ever entertained a firm sion against it, while the Council was able resolution never to allow my son— my only son—to be initiated into the ter- sitting in the metropolis. I then saw rible mysteries of the Bronze Statue. | Angela here, at the very moment when No, sooner sould 1 slay him with my ‘she was brought in a prisoner. It ap- own hand.’ cried the Lord of Altendorf, | pears that she subsequently escaped in becoming fearfully excited. ‘ And yet /a most unaccountable manner ; but Lord it is from no disrespect towards the tri- |} Rodolph firmly believes that old Hu- bunal itself- bert, taking compassion upon her, set ‘ My lord, I am acquainted with the ‘her free. This much he told me last reason,’ said the priest : ‘ do not—do evening, during il brief discourse which I had with his lordship.’ ‘Or was it not more probable that she discovered one of the secret ave- nues conducting to the subterraneans 2” askod the Baron. ‘T know not what opinion to form upon that head,’ replied the priest.— ‘At all events she escaped—she fled— and the next time I fell in with her was not, 1 implore you, give way to remi- niscences of so appalling a description. Your motive for keeping Rodolph in ut- ter ignorance of all the mysteries of our tribunal, so that he may never have ac- cess to the registers ‘And never know whose name is in- cluded amongst the victims chronicled in those registers,’ added the baron, a cloud spreading his countenance. ‘ No, such ee ee eee SO ree To be brief, I endeavored to render her an inmate of the White Mansion, well —haunt him like a ghost—pursue him | knowing that your lordship would be like a night-mare pleased to find, on learning this love ‘Calm yourself, I implore you, my | which your son has coaceived for her, lord,’ exclaimed the priest. ‘The past |that a barrier had been raised up be- cannot be recalled ‘ tween him and her. But in that at- ‘ Nor should it be, even if I were able | tempt I failed ; andthe third time I en- to live my life over again !’ said the ba- | countered her was when she accompa- ron, in a stern and even ferocious tone. | vied your lordship, the Marquis of ‘No, it was guilt deservedly punished : | Schomberg, and the Count of Rosen- deep, damning guilt ! and I have no pity | berg to the White Mansion, on the for her who paid the penalty of her | night of your liberation from the Castle crimes. But he must never know it— | of Prague.’ he—my son—must never be led to sus-| ‘ But what motive could she possibly pect ae have had in effecting our escape?’ de- +‘ Enough, my lord—enough upon that | manded the baron. point !’ cried the Carthusian, inatone| © None that I can comprehend, unless of earnestentreaty. ‘ We were talking | it were devotion to the Count of Rosen- of Lord Rodolph’'s love for that humble | berg, her adopted parents’ master,’ said forest maiden, Angela Wildon the priest; ‘and thus, in liberating one, ‘And he dares to love a peasant girl |she found it equally easy to accomplish with such astrong affection ?’ exclaimed | the emancipation of all three.’ the baron. ‘But surely he would not| ‘A female—a delicate female, young make her. his wife? surely he would | and beautiful, would scarcely be swayed not forget how pure is the blood which by motives so thoroughly disinterested,’ flows in his veins, and consent to min-| said the baron, in a musing tone. ‘But gle it with that plebeian puddle ?” are yousure that she does not love Lord ‘At the time when Angela Wildon | Rodolph in return ” was his prisoner, he would have laidhis| ‘He would have made her his wife, rank, his name, his future prospects, |in defiance of even your lordship's dis- ‘and every thing he possessed or was/| pleasure, and she fled from him,’ an- heir to, at her feet,’ replied Father Cy- swered the priest. ‘ Was this love on prian. ‘ How far his sentiments may |her part? Judge for yourselt.’ have been changed by the brilliant al- ‘She assuredly does not love him, liance now opened to his contemplation, | then,’ remarked the baron. remains to be seen. For three days, at ‘No—and in my opinion she loves ’ — a a ee eee _-_—_———— of portentous darkness over- | ata village inn afew miles from Prague.. comicbooks.com