The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 397: what you’re looking at

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

i ne 27s" ee el oe ’ a J | a > - - —-_ > “s. a ‘pe - THE BRONZE STATUE. 395 nouncement of a messenger from the | that amour into which the strength of victorious Captain-General of the Ta-/| their mutual love betrayed them ; sixth borites induced him to pause. The/ly, how this same Angela was in reality dispatch of which this courier was the | the liberatrix of the Count of Rosen« bearer, and which bore the autograph | berg, together with the Baron of Alten- of the mighty Zitzka himself,informed | dorf, and the Marquis of Schomberg, the Count of Rosenberg that his pre-; from the Castle of Prague ; and seven- sence was instantaneously required at, thly., how the proud Lord of Altendorf, Altendorf Castle, ‘upon matters of aj}so long the dark and terrible chief of ’ and as the document | the tribunal of the Bronze Statue, was ~ ms A oe Ae Wt teed ti a, eee over at a “ —— SS 5 . — Baa 4 | 4 delicate nature ;' likewise pledged the word of its author | now stricken with remorse at the pre- for the count’s personal safety and free-|sence of that retribution which was dom, his lordship hesitated not a mo-} manifested in the untimely and violent ment in trusting to the honor of John | death of his only son,—these were the Zitzka. He accordinely accompanied | circumstances, these the facts that were the courier without delay; and, during | now revealed to the ears of the Count the short ride from the one castle to| of Rosenberg! the other, the count gleaned enough | awaiting the performance of the last from his Taborite companion to make | offices; fourthly, how John Zitzka was him aware that portentous discoveries | himself the individual on whom Erme- had been made and wildly romantic} nonda’s affections were fixed in the pe- mysteries elucidated in the subterrane-| riod of her lovely girlhood and of his ans of Altendorf. | prepossessing youthfulness; fifthly, how Nevertheless, the Count of Rosen-| Angela was the illegitimate offspring of berg had acquired no positive details in| ‘The first impulse of this nobleman, respect to these matters; and although | even while the wonderment excited by he was fully prepared to hear of occur- | all those startling revelations still held rences surpassing the ordinary routine | its empire over him, was to approach of this world’s events, yet he little an-| Angela, press his lips upon her pure ticipated how startling some of these | brow, and recognise her as his niece. explanations would prove—how closely | And, illegitimate though she were, he they regarded his own family affairs— | was not more strongly impelled towards and how deeply they were calculated to | this recognition by a feeling of impe- touch the tenderest feelings of his soul. | rishable regard for that sister whose But as we do not wish to dwell unne- | child the maiden was, than by a sense cessarily upon this portion of our tale,| of gratitude and admiration towards we will leave the reader to imagine the | Angela herself for the heroism of her mingled emotions that were excited in} conduct in the affair of the Castle of the breast of the Count of Rosenberg, | Prague. Then, while weeping in the or rather, the crowds of sentiments | arms of the uncle who had just acknow- which rapidly succeeded each other in | ledged her so generously and whose his mind, as revelation after revelation’ character she had ever admired so and the clearing up of mystery after | highly, the forest-maiden felt that al- mystery burst upon him in consecutive | though an affectionate father and a kind volleys. first, how the rumors long| relative had on this memorable night current in Bohemia relative to the tri- | been given to her by heaven, yet that bunal of the Bronze Statue had received | there was no prospect of happiness on a sudden and fearful confirmation, and earth for her, because her heart had be- how the dark and dreadful secrets of |come a sepulchre to entomb for ever- the subterraneans of Altendorf had} more the image of the handsome Aus- been brought to light; secondly, how | trian knight! Ms numerous men and women, who at dif-| ‘Towards you, General Zitzka,’ said oe ferent times within the last twenty | the Couat of Rosenberg, extending his ¥ years had disappeared most unaccount- | hand to the Taborite chieftain, a | can~ ably from the world, had been discover- | not now cherish any reminiscences of ed dwelling in certain apartments con- | ill-feeling on account of that unhappy nected with those awful subterraneans;/| love which existed long years ago be- . thirdly, how the Baroness of Alten-|} tween yourself and Ermenonda. On dorf, the Count of Rosenberg’s own/|the contrary,’ exclaimed the nobleman, sister, had lived as a member of that} with a passionate outburst of emotion, sepulchre-doomed community until | ‘would to God that she had been left te within the last three days, and how her | follow the dictates of her heart’s de- remains were yet above the ground) sire and espouse the humble page who = Ome oe - 7” é pally 4 —— eo = »* . oF eps - 4 . hon ' 7. : ~ -_" ° _ > d U ” > comicbooks.com