The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 339: what you’re looking at

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

ns THE BRONZE STATUE. 337 ‘Alas! itis so, dear lady,’ observed Hubert is unavailing. Fortunate, there- Lionel, tears rolling down his cheeks; | fore, was it for you, dear boys, that the ‘and in order to escape even for a few| priest came not hither with you, when instants only from that monotony, did| you were brought into this place of ter- we beseech you to permit us to wander | ror and of death. Had he come, naught through the subterraneans of this cas- | could have saved you. ‘I'he good old tle. You kindly assented to our pray-| steward would not have dared to raise er, and we thank you, lady—sincerely | a hand nor utter a word in your behalf, thank you.’ and the three executioners must have ‘But you are well aware, my poor | done their duty. Oh! is it not horrible boys,’ resumed the Carmelite, ‘that I —horrible 2?” . could not suffer you to come forth alone| ‘The brain reels beneath the idea, and wander about these regions by your- murmured Lionel, to whom Konrad selves. For at any moment may the|clung with the terror that came over servitors of the Bronze Statue make) him. . se ae their appearance, either from the pas-| * Horrible ! yes; it is most rappel sages communicating with the chapel in repeated the White Lady. ‘Those the forest, or by means of other avenues | three brothers to whom | have alluded, leading up into the interior of the cas-| and whom ye know to be men of hu- tle. Then. ignorant as you are of the | mane dispositions and good hearts, were various secret hiding-places, and the | themselves doomed to the vengeance many hidden doors and labyrinthine | of the Bronze Statue some rit or ways of these subterraneans, detection | thirteen years ago. But it happened at would be inevitable, and I shudder to| the time that executioners were want- think of the consequences. For, were| ed by the chiefs of the tribunal, and such an event to occur, and were you, | those men saved their lives on the fear- whom the servitors believe to be dead, | ful condition that they should fill the discovered to be alive, the result would hideous avocations which were then va- rove fatal not only to yourselves, but | cant. to the entire prbtieehibod. Therefore,| ‘And is there no hope, lady, that a my dear youths, have I been compelled | time will come when God’s aa to accompany you in this mournfulram- | or man’s despair will rely -n ; ble which you are about ? goa ark an - this awful tribunal?’ demande he first glimpse caught of a light in the | Konrad. — . Motedne at the first sound of adoor| ‘ Methinks that the time of which you closing or a footstep advancing—shall | speak cannot be far distant, was “ be at hand to hurry you away from | cheering response. ‘From all that danger into some hiding-place of secu- have heard within the last two days, rity.’ Bohemia stands upon the verge of a ‘Ts it often, then, that the myrmidons terrible crisis; and in the convulsion of the dread tribunal come hither?’ ask- | which is at hand, God send that -_ ed Lionel. Bronze Statue may be overthrown ! ‘Not often, thank God!’ exclaimed | For the mighty Zitzka has proclaimed the White Lady, with athrilling fervor, | war against the aristocracy, and the ‘but no one can tell at what moment| aristocracy have thrown down the they may appear. Months and months gauntlet likewise on their side. bar frequently pass without giving up a new castle has become the head-quarters 0 victim to the Statue, and without ad-|the royalist rebellion, and the palatial ding another to the community of bre- abode of the new queen ; and it is more thren and sisters amongst whom we |than probable that Aitzka will lose no dwell. time in marching hither, and laying ‘Oh ! then you are not always able to | siege to Altendorf Castle. ‘Then—oh! rescue those whom the chiefs of the tri- | then . : bunal dedicate to destruction?’ said| ‘God grant that he may triumph ! Konrad, shuddering from head to foot. | ejaculated Konrad, fervently. . ‘Alas! not always,’ replied the lady, ‘Such also is my prayer. said Lio- in a tone of the deepest sorrow.—| nel, with equal enthusiasm. — ‘ And ‘Sometimes the Carthusian priest su- should victory proclaim itself in favor of ) perintends the execution, sometimes! the Taborite General, may he wreak I} the Baron of Altendorf himself,’ she | deadly vengeance upon the Carthusian continued, in a voice that became scarce- | priest, the Baron of Altendorft ;' ly audible with extreme tremulousness;| * Hush cried the lady, starting ab- ‘and in those cases the humanity of!ruptly from a profound reverie into comicbooks.com eS ey . oa. - “ ” = = Se. 4 aap -—— * « - a “at ee’ By eS Sa, - a a re" se _ o* ee 77 TF - oJ *~ — | ~ ~? ‘ bd “ ; ; =. - * * - —— ee e- « «= > eae * yt oa ge => ~ oe | ae t< * > ~ - he ba Se Bors eS —- — = of . a . ~ ae he Ta =e & a af + | “44 7 e : ’ * : » | « . 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