The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 395: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. 393 But that I was misled by circumstances, that I was blinded by jealousy, that I was too hasty to condemn without a fair investigation, | now admit to have been probable, certainly possible: and I will take your word, General Zitzka, to that effect. ‘lherefore, under this altered aspect of past events, and as the only atonement which I can now offer to the departed spirit of the wronged and in- jured Ermanonda—lI will follow her re- mains to the tomb.’ Well pleased am I, Baron of Alten- dorf,’ said Zitzka, ‘to behold this change of demeanor and feeling on your part. A short interval yet remains until the obsequies can be celebrated : forasmuch as [ have despatched a courier to re- uest the immediate attendance of ord Rosenherg, the brother of the de- ceased Baroness. It will be but con- sistent and courteous to await his com- ing; andin the meantime I| wil! make to your ears a communication respect- ing the maiden whom you behold at my right hand.’ As the Captain-General uttered these words, he looked fondly upon Angela, down whose cheeks were flowing the pearly tears that all the preceding con- versation relative to her mother had called forth. ‘This heroic maiden,’ resumed Zitz- ka, ‘who delivered you, Baron of Al- tendorf, from the Castle of Prague, is my own daughter, the child of the de- parted Ermenonda ”’ ‘+O God! and Rodolph loved her, and he would have made her his wife!’ ex- claimed the Baron. ‘ But thank heaven: that crowning iniquity was never ac- complished! And, Oh! what will Ro- dolph’s feelings be when he learns that his mother has lived until the present time, lived in a sepulchral gloom, iso- lated from the world, and rescued by the mercy of Hubert from the awful death to which 1 had doomed her !— When he learns all this, he will exe- crate his father, and my son’s curse is something more than [ could possibly bear! But if I explain to him every- thing : ‘Yes, this course must be adopted,’ said Zitzka: ‘for there are already so many who are now acquainted with the fact that the Baroness of Altendorf drag- ged on a wretched existence in the sub- terraneans of this Castle, until three —_ UTTER eT mime nme cnet cement emmeeeeeeeeemmm tleeeeeeeeeeteeeeeeeeacaeenemeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacacaamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiaaal days ngo, there are so many persons [| say, now acquainted with this fact, that | motive which could nave induced the it would be impossible to prevent itfrom! wretched priest to practise that cheat reaching his ears sooner or later.’ mechanism is erected. ‘ And yet, and yet,’ observed the Ba- ron of Altendorf, his entire frame now trembling with emotion, ‘ | would soon- er die than confess to my son that for five-and-twenty years | have been the Chief of the Tribunal of the Bronze © Statue. As yet he knows nothing of all the tremendous mysteries belonging thereto: he is even unaware of the ex- istence of those very subterraneans where the image stands and where the The chieftain- ship of that tribunal was an accursed legacy which I derived from my fa- ther; and althuugh I have fulfilled the horrible duties of my office with the zeal and the readiness of a man who suffers himself to be whirled on by a torrent which sustains him buoyantly on its bosom so longs as he yields to its power, but which would swallow him up in a moment were he to olfer the slightest resistance to its eddying course, although, I say, [ have proved fully obe- dient to the oath which I took when entering upon the supreme functions of that tribunal, yet heaven knows that I oved not the stupendous mystery enough to be willing to bequeath my power to Rodolph. No, sooner would [ have killed him with my own hand than have trained him to inheret that hieftainship. the names of allthe victims 1s kept, and in that register would Rodolph have found the name of his own mother—’ ‘Enough! exclaimed Zitzka: ‘ ac- cident has within the last few hours rendered me a spectator to the horrible punishment inflicted by the Bronze Statue.’ ‘You—a spectator !—cried the Ba- ron, with the profoundest amazement. ‘Yes, a spectator, and well nigh a victim,’ returned the Captain General. ‘That perfidious priest ‘Oh! Father Cyprian?’ exclaimed the Baron. ‘* What of him?’ ‘Heis no more!’ responded Zitzka. ‘A terrible vengeance has overtaken him—and Gloria Ildegardo, my injured niece, was heaven’s instrument in as- signing to him his righteous doom ?’ W hat new marvels dol hear ?’ cried the Lord of Altendorf. ‘The Carthusi- an assured me that Gloria Ildegardo died some years ago: and now I learn that she is alive—and that she is your niece ‘It is impossible for me to diviae the upon you, Baron of Altendorf,’ inter- comicbooks.com Moreover, a register of CRS