The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 363: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. 361 ing to himself the lofty language andj ance to his ideas in a musing tone. the sounding words of promise which | * Your adopted parents are in the ser- were suitable only to the tongues of| vice of the good Lord Rosenberg—and potentates and princes. he was imprisoned by Zitzka. Your ‘Fear nothing, sweet Angela,’ said|/soul beat with the aspirations of a he- De Colmar, a smile of radiant triumph | roine—and you répaired to Prague to playing upon his lips; ‘my brain is not| accomplish his deliverance. You suc- wandering, as I see that you fear it is. ceeded: and then accident—or rather But enough upon that subject for the Providence—led you to the White Man- present. I have yet many questions to/| sion in time to save my life. Oh! how ask, and you many replies to give. ‘Tell deep is the debt of gratitude which I me, then, how you came to be my| owe you, Angela: how manifold are the nurse—how you heard of my illness—’ services that I have received at your ‘Ah! now will your excellency par-} hand”’ don me for the duplicity which Iexer-| «And did I owe you nothing?’ said cised towards you 2?’ exclaimed the for-| the forest-maiden, in a low and softly est maiden, bending down her blushing | musical voice, as she now ventured to countenance, and speaking in a tone) to turn her limpid Jooks once more up- that was breathless and broken with} on the Knight’s countenance. ‘ Did you embarrassment, confusion,and suspense. | not rescue me from the power of Lord ‘ Duplicity !’ repeated De Colmar.| Rodolph in the forest?—did you not ‘ You guilty of duplicity towards me ?’| gave me from drowning in the vicinage he cried, surveying Angela Wildon with | of Prague ?” the deepest astonishment. ‘ Impossi- ble ! ‘And yet it is true,’ murmured the maiden, the crimson glow spreading from her countenance over her arching neck and all that the modest vesture left exposed of the alabaster shoulders. ‘But of what nature was that dupli- city !’ demanded the knight, with in- creasing amazemert. , ‘The concealment of myself beneath a deep disguise ‘Oh! what mean you, Angela ?’ ex- claimed De Colmar, a suspicion of tne truth flashing to his mind, but which he instantly rejected as impossible. ‘1 mean, Sir Knight,’ answered the maiden, in a still more murmuring tone, and with a deeper glow upon her cheeks and neck, ‘I mean that in the disguise of the polished armor ‘Then it is so!’ ejaculated De Col- mar, finding that the suspicion so sud- denly entertained and so promptly re- jected, was indeed the true one: and, lost in an amazed admiration of the he- roine, he again fixed upon her those looks that spoke far more eloquently of | gratitude, astonishment, and fervid friendship tnan the most impassioned words could possibly have done. But Angela sate trembling and bash-| ful, with blushing countenance and aver-| ted eyes ; because she knew—she saw— she felt that De Colmar read the secret of her love for him—and, in her maid- en modesty, she was ashamed and con- fused as if she had committed a crime. ‘+ Yes—now I comprehend it all” said the Knight, at length giving utter- -_ ‘ Yes—but your deeds towards my- self outweigh those services ten thou- gand-fold !’* exclaimed De Colmar. ‘ For how many times hast thou saved my life, Angela? First upon the heath, when You found me lying deprived of consciousness’: next at the White Man- sion, when | had fallen into a hornet’s nest of enemies; thirdly, beneath the walls of this Donjon, when your sea- sonable arrival and your gallant hand turned the fortune of the conflict pro- voked by the vile Carthusian and his bravos; and now, within the last six weeks, heaven alone can tell how often your kind ministerings and gentle at- tentions may have arrested the vital spirit when wavering on my lips and about to flee away forever! Oh! yes, Angela—dearest Angela—immense is the debt of gratitude which I owe to thee ; and henceforth thou shalt be unto wie as a sister :’ ‘Your Excellency will pardon me if [ should appear to receive with cold- ness these generous professions of friendship,’ said Angela, with a deep gasp and a powerful swelling of the heart in spite of her endeavors to speak calmly and look composed: but, now that your Excellency is convalescent, 1 must bid you farewell—I must return to my forest-home , ‘Oh! do not desert me until I am fully restored to health !’ exclaimed De Colmar, taking the maiden’s hand and holding it with a species of nervous force as he gazed earnestly and anxious- ly up into her eyes to read in those comicbook ane, & e Ly ee Pte ~ —_ = = —* a ” ‘ +. o> i c i a ae > i an x os ae ; * * ‘ = - 4 a4 ey Oe. am a i Fy ‘ . . _<. *i.- es ae - * . 4 ; ee ~~ | } ~ : Ce ee ale x ’ \s : $ iP PA: ¥ a ~ +? pS as sv 5 P e ~* * « S* ~ 224.5...” 2 -? al rh «< : . ~2 = 4 pl do " ore, = om Gl - Rois et 7 ° abe <. 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