The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. ol the horses’ hoofs rung npon the stone pave- | as well as from other circumstances, was it ment. The huge portal closed behind them ;| apparent enough that Father Cyprian was and the place of destination was gained. | no stranger in this magnificent dwelling. ‘Perm:t me to unbutton your cowl, Sir| When near the extremity of the passage, Knight,’ said the Carthusian, when they|the pages threw a pair of folding-doors had hoth dismounted. /wide open; but they immediately closed The hood was accordingly withdrawn | again, swinging back noiselessly upon their from De Colmar’s countenance ; and, while | hinges, so soon as the Knight and the Car- casting off the ecclesiastical garb altoye-| thusian had passed into an elegantly-fur- ther, the rapid glance which he threw) nished ante-chamber, where four beautiful around showed him that he had alighted in| young women, attired in the plain though the middle of a spacious court-yard, con-| becoming garb of servitresses, were enga- stituting a complete square, and enclosed | ged with tambor work, on each side by a lofty range of building. | The pages had remained outside in the The entire structure, which was regular} passage: but one of these handmaidens in- and uniform, presented a noble and impos-| stantly rose from her seat—threw open & ing appearance to the eye. The frontages| door at the end of the ante-room—drew looking upon the court-yard were of the| back the heavy velvet curtain which cover+ finest marble: the windows were of that| ed the entrance—and stepped aside for Fa- long, arched, and deeply-set Gothic shape} ther Cyprian and Sir Ernest de Colmar to which was usually adopted in the palaces | crossthe threshold. They advanced accord- and mansions of mediwval architecture ;—| ingly: the curtain was drawn again—the and the casements were fitted with stained| door was closed behind them ;—and the glass, so that it was Impossible for the eye | Knight found himself in a magnificently- to penetrate into the interior of the apart- | furnished apartment, at the extremity of ment. which there was a raised seat whence a T'wo pages in elegant attire were hold-| young lady of dazzling beauty rose to wel mg the horses by the bridles when the! come the visitors. cowl fell away from Sir Ernest de Colmar’s face’: and two more pages, similar!yv dress- — ed; were standing upon the threshold of a door opening into a spacious hal’. Thither ' CHAPTER XIV. the Curthusian at once conducted the Knight ; and the two pages last alluded to THE PRINCESS ELIZABETHA. immediately led the way up a wide marble Staircase ornamented with large porcelain T'HE room to which Sir Ernest de Col- vases containing the choicest flowers, ani| mar had thus been introduced, was, as we with alabaster statues holding lamps in| have just observed, splendidly fitted up. their hands. |The window-panes were of pink glass; The landing to which this superb ascent | but while they precluded the possibility of led, was carpeted with crimson velvet; the | catching a glimpse of the prospect without, walls were covered with pictures set in| they aflorded a medium through which the gorgeous frames, and the subjects of which | sun-beams poured a subdued and reseate were drawn fromthe most striking episodes | lustre into the apartment. in Bohe nian history. Vases, s‘atues, and} The dais, or raised part of the room, flowers likewise enhanced the attractions | where the young Jady had been seated, wag and added to the chaste elegance of the | covered with velvet of a gorgeous violet- place. color, fringed with gold: the draperies From each side of this landing a long| were of white figured satin, which borrow- passage branched off; and into one of these | ed a ruddy tnt from the stained glass;— corridors did the pages conduct the Carthu- | the floor was of the most curious and cost- sian and the Knight. ‘To the priest, how-| ly mosaic work :—and on the walls, which ever, the scene was evidently familiar: for| were of richly painted wainscotting, armo- he bestowed not a single glance on any of| rial bearings were emblazoned and inlaid the numerous objects of curiosity and art| with silver, gold, and mother-of-pearl. which were so lavishly scattered ahout;| The young lady who occupied this su- and in one part of the corridor he crossed | perb apartment, was the Princess Elizabe- himself rapidly though without looking | tha. either to the right or to the left. Butina| Of tall stature and sylph-like form, her small niche Sir Ernest de Colmar beheld a| tigure was at once graceful, elegant, and crucifix the exact position of which must! striking. The waist was slender, almost have been well known to the priest, who/| toa fault: the bust was of mod-rate pro- had made the Christian sign the instant | portions, showing all the exquisitively gras that he was passing it; and thus, from this| dient and not too abrupt transitions from ————— comicbooks.com