The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 387: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUR. 385 And as: he asked himself this ques- tion in a low, musing tone, he replaced the winding-sheet and closed the lid of the coffin: then. still guided by Angela, he pursued his way, and ina few mo- ments they entered the chamber of the machinery. ‘Oh! is it not horrible—horrible ?’ murmured the forest-maiden, a cold shudder passing over her entire frame as she clung to her father’s arm for support. ‘Its dreadful use almost sug- gests itself to the imagination; and yet the fancy shrinks appalled ‘ Yes—’tis the work of fiends in hu- man shape, Angela,’ interrupted John Zitzka, his own stalwart form trembling for a moment, and his own iron nerves quivering with a spasmodic sensation that passed with the speed of lightning along them, as his eye embraced at a glance all the hideous features of the detestable mechanism. ‘Did I not tell you, father,’ said An- gela, in a soft and tremulous tone, ‘that you must prepare yourself to encounter the gloom of that place of monuments —the terror of this ghastly machinery, and the awful solemnity of the Bronze Statue, in our search amidst these sub- terraneans for that beloved being whom we are now both alike so anxious to fold in our arms? Did I not warn you, beloved sire, that the mysteries and the horrors of Altendorf Castle transcended all powers of description ?’ ‘ You did, Angela—you did,’ returned “itzka. ‘ But by the eternal God who reigns above us! I will destroy every vestige of this accursed stronghold ‘Tranquillise yourself, dear father,’ said the forest-maiden, looking earnest- ly and appealingly up into the grim warrior’s countenance. ‘ Remember that our object, at least for the present, is a peaceful and a holy one ’ ‘True, beloved Angela!’ ejaculated Zitzka. ‘Come, let us leave this de- testable place, let us pursue our way,’ —then, as he accompanied his daughter from the chamber of the machinery, he muttered to himself, ‘No wonder —my God! no wonder, that the fated Gloria should have existed in such mor- tal horror of the barest allusion to the Bronze Statue !’ . ‘Heaven grant that we may fall in speedily with her whom we seek !’ ob- served Angela, as she showed Aitzka | the way up the stone steps into the room where the various implements and materials used in sustaining the polish of the colossal statue were kept. ‘ ‘Perhaps she is no longer an inmate of these subterraneans?’ said the Ta- borite chieftain, with a profound sigh. ‘Or perhaps But I dare not give utterance to so terrible an idea : ‘O heavens!’ exclaimed Angela, too well divining the nature of the thought that was uppermost in her father’s im- hej -ange ‘let us hope that Famine has at least spared her !” and she shud- dered from head to foot as she thus gave expression to the horrible thought. ‘But if she be still alive,’ continued the ’ forest-maiden, with that rapidity of tone which is frequently caught up by persons anxious to escape from one to- pic into another, ‘if she be still alive, rest assured that we shall find her with- in these gloomy regions.’ ‘God grant that it may be so!’ ex- claimed Zitzka, solemnly. The father and daughter now entered the hall of the Bronze Statue; and as the colossal image stood out, like a being invested with a subdued halo of glory, from amidst the obscurity, as the light of the torch which Zitzka carried was borne nearer and nearer towards it, the soul of even that mighty warrior was troubled, although he knew not the pre- cise nature of the hideous use to which the accursed effigy was appropriated. Still he had heard before, and now com- prehended from actual observation, enough to make him aware that the statue, although so placid and mild in outward semblance, was really and truly an engine of some diabolical torture and hideous death—that while it looked like the effigy of a dweller in heaven, it was actually the representative of the. most damnable fiend of hell, so that if it were a saint in seeming, it was a de- moness in sooth ! ‘Let us hasten away, dear father,’ murmured Angela, clinging to the arm of her parent as he stood to contemplate the image; ‘that statue inspires me with a horror which chills all the blood in my veins and strikes with an icy sen- sation to my very heart’s core.’ ‘Come, then, dearest child,’ said Zitzka,‘ and let us prosecute our search in these labyrinthine subterraneans of mystery and horror.’ The Taborite chieftain and his daugh- ter now entered the circular chamber; but scarcely had they paused a moment there to enable Zitzka to contemplate the ominous stone hassock and the cru- cifix, when the creaking sounds of mas- ® | sive hinges fell upon their ears, *Their ilooks were simultaneously thrown into 7 comicbooks.com ’ - ww Bs — - > ines ta Ss Pe - - ° = > - > ene - pay > by ~~ 9 ‘ on - ——- : - > ons ony & ra, °F. ~ e , y nt . » P- ‘ - 7 wascebe ner wen Cl ee Ree tI ee 8 ne ee Ee ——— | -. — st « _ =: -~ =» wh ata 3 ‘ 7 ae - r. wT + ) ae - ——_ ‘To - -_ wer > am ~ - : ae fF ¥ 7 F ; ‘ i ' ~~ ?* “* ‘Sa as 3 own DAT ee he Sabahepetete tet Oe ee eae or 7 =~ et on ee a _ « ~ ° 7