The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 361: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE, 309 being whose double character of the;forth regard you asa sister, Come— Daughter of Glory and the Daughter of | seat yourself by my bed-side and pray Satan was no longer a secret to Angela/ enlighten me upon all that you may Wildon. ‘ Wherefore would’st thou leave me, fair one ?’ asked the Knight, in a tone which was made almost femininely soft by the attenuating influence of illness, and whieh was rendered full of pathos by the varied emotions that filled his breast. ‘If | were about to leave your Excel- lency,’ said Angela, her own silver voice sounding low and tremulous likewise, ‘it was only to send the kind-hearted Bernard to receive your commands and afford those explanations which you doubtless require.’ ‘And can you not give me those ex- planations, Angela?’ asked De Colmar, in a tone so gentle and so pathetic that it conveyed to the maiden’s heart the most eloquent appeal for her to remain in that chamber. ‘Something tells me that you have been my nurse during the indisposition whence I have just awak- ened to consciousness ; and you will not leave me until I shall have expressed my fervent thanks—my lasting grati- tude ‘Oh! [ claim no gratitude at the hands of your Excellency,’ said Angela Wildon. ‘I have merely performed a Christian duty ; and now that your Ex- cellency is approaching to convalescence, it were unseemly for me to intrude longer on your presence. Il go, there- fore But she stopped short, and her humid eyes were cast for a moment upon De- Colmar’s countenance, as if to look the farewell which her emotions forbade her to speak. And he encountered that lim- pid look— a look so full of a mournful tenderness which not even the virgin’s innocence nor female dignity of Angela could restrain; and as the returning blood retinted those cheeks to which mingled confusion and shame brought it back, the warrior read in an instant the secret of the forest-maiden’s soul. Yes: like an inspiration did the con- Viction flash to his mind that Angela | ' | : ’ readily imagine me to be anxious to know.’ ‘The forest-maiden, who was too art- less and innocent to be a prude, imme- diately complied with the invalid war- rior’s request; and approaching the couch with an air of bushfulness min- gled with dignity and modest reserve uniting with confidence, she took the chair which was placed near the lead of the couch. We need scarcely inform our readers that she no longer wore the brilliant suit of armour which she had taken from the Castle of Prague—but that she was apparaled in the plain though neat at- tire befitting he sex and sociul position. Her light chesnut hair flowed in 1tich waves and glossy undulations over her shoulders and down her back: her bo- som was concealed beneath linen of snowy whiteness, to which it however imparted the shape of its virgin con- tuur; and the roseate colour which had now returned to its natural brightness upon lrer cheeks, set off the purity of the lily which characterised her noble brow and her swan-like neck. Beneath the dark brown lashes that shaded them, the deep blue eyes seemed melting into a more profound sensibility and a deep- er softness than usual; and her coral lips, slightly parted, alloweda glimpse of the rows of pearl which lay beneath, ‘The presence of so lovely « creature in that gloomy place and seated by his bed-side, made De Colmar feel as if he had awakened from a long trance to experience the holy and cheering influ- ence of an angel’s visit. Thus for a few moments after she had seated herself by the side of his couch, the knight was unable to give utterance to a single one of all the mo- mentous questions which a minute be- fore crowded in so disturbed and ex- citing a manner upon his brain. All his thoughts—all his interests—all his senygations, were absorbed in the long regard of admiration, gratitude, and loved him; and as he met the soft glance | friendship, which he fixed upon the which trembled like the rays of a star in the twilight, he comprehended in a | ’ charming countenance of the forest- maiden. The softly stealing influence moment the virgin bashfulness which! of her excessive loveliness was so mip- prompted her to retire and the infiu- ence of an irresistible tenderness which made her linger. | gled and attempered with the grave purity which characterised her every look, every word, and every movement, ‘Angela,’ he said, after a brief pause, | that De Colmar suddenly tound himself ‘you must not leave me thus. 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