The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 364: what you’re looking at

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

— - - »*» - * * ¥ ol » - - ——— _ - ~ o~ — a ° a a 2 AT “" te oS : » a & “a o . Pas . ia = Lee ; a ~ zo « “= ~ é “ <- ~~ “—** . & Plata « ws > *< ~ +-——<| + —<- | 4 ame | ~ ~ ; “ , 4 ge om Ce dk 7 ° > Meas! i air 6 See ha os * ‘ . ve. ° + 4y o , : 4 / . | ; +) ‘i Tha ; iF. . ‘i q aki © c * 4 ot s 4 ° "Tr 4 . ry * 4 a t p 1 : ih +2) j se * > eg - — > — - ~e, -* *-« > ow ie tm « . Ne: 4 ~ % ay) + pS ie ae = é ‘ * - 2 S a = a “ ¥ - ~~ r +« ——— - * ay = P ins aha ae ap Pg 6 eth, Bo" yt Pa |e ee ee AE ee A oO . . - * ~~? -* . oe * - -- - a « . ° - * ' oe. ~ ey ad . ae - a ° od - Fe “a he - o © : xe oe £2 :-* r Sede eS TS - eee y= SES BO Bp ee Pe —-+- es a ea en ——* - _— oe Ls = ~ _ , — * Oa + “eh «= . ro nt a = A * - : e =- «fe- Gx —— ie. ~-" - oes - ~ - 2 am P = P< 7 ——_—— ~~ on ie ~ 362 THE BRONZE STATUE. dark blue depths the respopse to his; ‘The reader will remember that al- appeal. most immediately after the termination ‘ Wherefore—wherefore should Ijof the conflict with the Carthusian’s stay ?’ cried Angela, almost impatient-|party in the court-yard of Ildegardo ly, as she withdrew her hand: for she |Castle, Angela Wildon mounted her remembered that a few weeks had only | horse and galloped away. She repaired elapsed since it was the hand of Gloria | straight to the abode of her adopted pa- which the warrior had been wont to|rents, whose forest-residence was not press with tenderness, many hours’ ride from Lidegardo Castle. ‘Wherefore should you stay?’ echoed | By that. worthy couple Angela was re- De Colmar, pained by the question, and | ceived with open arms—although they hurt likewise by the abruptness with} were naturally amazed to behold her which the forest-maiden had now with-|clad in the suit of shining panoply.— drawn her hand a second time from his | The narration of her adventures, how- clasp. ‘Oh! is it not possible that you | ever, soon explained how she became can have. become dear to me, dear as aj possessed of it; and until a late hour sister in the night did the maiden and her ‘No, no, do not delude me with such | adopted parents sit up to discourse on a hope ? murmured Angela ; and, avert- | the various matters which had occurred ing her head, she seemed agitated with | to interest them. thoughts that allowed po utterance. On the following morning Angela re- ‘Angela,’ said the knight, after a long} sumed her female garb, and mounting pause, and speaking in a tone of the| her horse—De Colmar’s valued gift— deepest solemnity,‘I implore you not|for the purpose of taking that exer- to leave me! Some days must elapse | cise which she so much loved, an irre- ere I can quit this couch ; and it would | sistible feeling of curlosity prompted be death—oh ! death through sheer mo-}| her to ride across to Ildegardo castle, notony and gloom,—were this chamber|and view the scene of the previous no longer hghted, cheered, and blessed day’s conflict. Not for an instant did by your presence. ‘l’ell me, then, An- | she suppose that De Colmar’s party had gela, dear Angela, tell me, thou whom |tarried there during the night, much I love as if you were my sister,—tell }less that she was destined to find the me that you will not abandon me yet} warrior himself an unconscious occu- uwhile.’ pant of old Bernard's dwelling-place. The maiden threw upon the knight} Yetsuch indeed proved to be the result ; a rapid and trembling look; then she|for, on reaching the ruins about mid- turned away her countenance and re-|day, Angela encountered the knight’s flected protoundly for nearly a minute ; | two grooms, who gave her a brief and and then, once more casting her melting |rapid outline of all that had _ occur- blue eyes towards the invalid, she mur- | red—at least so far as they could com- mured with the touching melody of her} prehend it. Enough was, however, silver voice, ‘No, I will not leave you{explained to Angela to enable her to yet” understand that Satanais had been sud- And scarcely was this promise re. | denly arrested that morning by a party warded by a look full of gratitude on| of T'aborites; that she had been forci- _ the part of Sir Ernest de Colmar, when | bly carried away, her handmaidens ac- the door was opened gently and the|companying her; and that De Colmar venerable Bernard entered the turret-|had been seized with a dangerous in- chamber. disposition on account of some extra- ordinary discovery made upon the oc- casion. All this was more than sufficient to awaken Angela’s curiosity and excite her interest; and hastily seeking Ber- THE KNIGHT, THE FOREST-MAIDEN, AND | nard’s turret-chamber, she represented BERNARD. herself as an acquaintance of the knight. The old man was too much rejoiced to Wr must here interrupt the regular | obtain the ministering attentions and course of our narrative for a moment | care of a female on behalf of the knight, in order to explain how it was that An-|to ask many questions respecting her gela Wildon became the nurse of the | knowledge of him; and Angela at once Austrian knight during his dangerous | undertook the duties of nurse. One of indisposition of six weeks. the grooms was despatched to her for- CHAPTER LXXXIX. —— ——— , a eee comicbooks.com