The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 394: what you’re looking at

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

392 THE BRONZE STATUE. order to conceal the interest and sus-| ‘Oh! again does a light flash in upon ; pense which he now in reality experi- | my imagination!’ exclaimed the noble- : enced. man; ‘and I at once comprehend ano- y ‘I will not waste words in an unne-/ther phase in the history of the past! cessary preface,’ continued the Cap-| You, General Zitzka—you were the lo- iz. tain-General of the Taborites. ‘ Know, | ver of my wife !” | # then. that the lady whose death thou ‘Yes, I was indeed the one on whom : didst proclaim to the world twenty long/ she bestowed her affections, and who. 1% years 4go——~’ adored her so madly. Oh! God alone i ‘Ah! my wife!’ exclaimed the ba- | knows how fervidly, how devotedly in om ron, with a sudden start like the pa- roxysm attendant upon a pang of mor- talagony. ‘What! hast thou betrayed that secret, villain?’ he cried, turning towards the venerable steward. ‘The worthy Hubert betrayed no- thing until accident, or rather Provi- dence, led me on to such discoveries that denial or misrepresentation became return!’ said the Taborite chief, his voice expressing feelings profoundly stirred. ‘ But however culpable Erma- ronda may have been, before her mar- riage with you, Baron of Altendorf, I swear—solemnly swear, as a man fear- ing God and believing that I possess a soul to be saved—I swear, [ say, that never, never did she prove faithless to impossible as well as useless,’ observed | the vows which she pledged to thee at Zitxka, his tone gathering even a deep- | the altar, wrung from her by a stern « er solemnity as he proceeded. ‘ But} compulsion and a dire tyranny although | you will do well, Baron of Altendorf, | those pledges were!’ ~ not ty interrupt me with passionate ac-| ‘Oh! was she indeed innocent—in- a cusations thrown in the teeth of this|deed innocent!’ murmured the Baron good old man. For thou standest upon of Altendorf, trembling all over. «And the threshold of a startling revelation; |did I doom to a horrible death the znd all thy feelings and sentiments will | mother of my loved Rudolph—my only be absorbed in amazement, when I de- | son? But God be thanked that she es- or clare to thee that the wife whose death |caped that death—that she lived on, de- Lehi thou didst proclaim twenty years ago, |spite my cruel decree Ay; and to whom thou didst raise a monu-| ‘ Yes—lived on, thanks to this good ment—that this wife of thine, I say,|old man!’ exclaimed Zitzka, turning remained alive and breathed the air of | toward Hubert, adown whose pale and this world until three days ago!” careworn cheeks the tears were falling ‘The announcement thus made fell | thick and fast. ‘But there is much to with a stunning effect upon the brain of | be explained, Baron of Altendorf-- Altendorf. For nearly a minute did he | much that it behoves you to learn. sit gazing in stolid wonderment and in| These explanations cannot be afforded the vacancy of stupefaction upon the |now: in the morning they shall be Captain-General of the Taborites. But! given fully. I myself have only as yet at last, as a sudden light flashed in upon | received a rapid outline of one part of his soul, he sprang from his seat, ex-|the history from Hubert’s lips; but he claiming, ‘I understand it all! Yes—| will enter into minuter details at a more it must be so—and you have spoken | fitting opportunity, when also the other truly, Zitzka. LHubert, you deceived | portion of the narrative of the past me—you saved her—you allowed her to | shall be supplied by myself. In the live! And that apparition at the altar, |mean time we have a solemn and sa- on the day which was to have given Bo- | cred duty to perform—a d uty to which I hemia’s crown to my son—oh! yes—it | hope you will address yourself with the was she—it was Ermenonda!’ feelings of an altered man. I meanthe And quivering all over with a terrific | celebration of the funeral obsequies of excitement, as if seized by a palsy, the | the Baroness of Altendorf.’ | Baron of Altendorf sank back into the} ‘That she had loved more fondly than seat whence he had so wildly sprung Wisely ere our marriage, I was well up- aware,’ said the Baron, in a deep and | And now listen attentively, and com- | somewhat tremulous tone: ‘and all that oe yourself if you can,’ resumed | was forgiven before I led her to the al- pipers: for “4 Justice to the memory | tar—if forgiveness under such circum- - ceased Baroness of Altendorf, ; stances I had a right to bestow. That lave un averment to proclaim, and|she was afterwards faithless to me, lL ‘4 , fn ie truth of which I stake my | did believe, and have believed through | soul's salvation, itwenty long, long years, until now !— eed - , 4 =_ = eo — —— _ aap iy Nero Se = 2 SSeS - o- - —- 2 _ ee — cal ae Nae Ce hs oe nd = —- ~ a. = eo - — ah ~~ £ . o_o — Set Sed ae. ¢ —~ ‘ > ~ a « o = en a > or le ota - - - 7 — = - - - ee - ~=_< - ~ ? a > 4 a = —_ — > nd = all " — - — = —- — = - - o .s - - - o -.* ae . ws % = - ae > ° " - : —, =. 7x 3 Fe i . " . “- * ; si "es, ee a) + é Fs - = =< . » - ' - 7 4 se * a d . e = > » * -=— « ~ és » ._* -~ o A -* + . : ; > es raz . <3 = —s ~ —— ~ - > o _ o ae - ., = 2 - — _ - = ry ; ~ oe, =. ~ i ‘ete _ or? . “ —_" -* ~ =? 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