The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

— yy THE BRONZE STATUE. o follow. Nevertheless, our traveller, who was as skilful in handling his weapon as he was cool and courageous in combat, not only warded off all the blows and thrusts | which were made at him by one who was assailing him as it were from the covert) ambush of the deep shade, but eventually disarmed him. The sword which his ene- my wielded was dashed from his hand 3 and the next moment the vanquished Indie | vidual saved himself by a precipitate flight from any chastisement which the conqueror | might have thought fit to inflict upon him. Thus remaining master of the scene, our traveller returned his weapon to its sheath, and raised the inanimate female in his arms. She was still in a deep swoon; and for an snstant her victorious champion feared that | life was instinct. But, placing his hand upon her heart, he felt it throb gently: and at the same time her lips quivered slightly, | as the silver moon now shone with all its power through the opening in the trees upon her countenance. | | a And, heavens! on what an angelic face | did that pure flood of argentine splencor stream! It gave a living lustre to linea- ments that were faultlessly beautiful, though now so marble pale ;—and it displayed all the soft and flowing outlines of a form modelled to the most exquisite proportions. Her garb indicated that she belonged to the peasant class, so far as social position went: but, even in the rapid glance which the stranger threw over her as he held her in his arms, and statue-like as she was In the deep swoon which still continued, he saw enough to impress him with an idea of a loveliness utterly surpassing all the dreams of woman’s charms which he had ever formed in the enthusiastic spring-tide of his youth. But what was he to do to recover her r— where could he seek for waiter wherewith to moisten her alabaster brow? Bewildered and anguished—-fearing that the spirit would ebb away for ever from its beauteous mor- tal tenement,.ere needful succor could be afforded—the traveller threw his eyes around, penetrating with their eagle ylances into the aecep recesses of the forest. And, O joy! a flickering, glimmering light met his view : his straining orbs were fixed upon it, in terror lest it should prove a delusion: but, no—it was a light, stationary and ap- pearing like the gleam of a lamp shining dimly through a cottage lattice. Animated with hope that assistance might now be found, and in his excitement for- getting altogether the man whom he had felled and who stil! lay motionless upon the ground, the traveller bore his lovely bur- then in the direction of the light, which every moment became stronger as he ap- / _———— eee proached it; and in about five minutes he reached a large and comfurtable-looking habitation, occupying au open space in the forest. The hasty krock which he gave at the door, was immediately answered by an elderly woman of respectable appearance, who uttered an ejaculation of terror when» the hoht streaming from within the cottage fell upon the marble countenance of the | young female; and the stranger instantane- ously perceived by her manner that his far charge either belonged to the house or was well known there. | ‘Oh! Wildon, here is our Angela? ex- claimed the woman, clasping her hands, ‘But, just heaven! is the dear girl dead, sir?’ she demanded in a voice of anguish which bespoke the live lest interest, if not maternal feelings, on belialf of the inanimate beauty. ‘No—she will recover, with proper re- medies” answered the traveller, bearing his lovely burthen into the cottage, where a man, of benevolent appearance, and whose age might be about fifty, hastened forward from the inner room. The elderly couple in turns embraced the lovely Angela, who now began to show signs of returning consciousness ; and they bore her to that interior apartment which we have just mentioned. During their temporary absence the traveller cast his eyes around the room in which they had left him; and everything | denoted comfort and independence. The /most scrupulous cleanliness eharacterised ithe dwelling ; and the smoked hams and flitches suspended to the ceiling showed that the wild boar of the forest furnished the table of the inmates of that cottage with a plentiful and substantial food. Ina few minutes the man, whose name appeared to be Wildon, came forth from the inner room, and announced that Angela was fast recovering, but that as yet she had been unable to give any account of what had happened to her. ‘I'he traveller there- upon nrrated as much as he knew of her adventure, and the share which he had taken in it; and Wildon expressed his gratitude in the liveliest terms, ‘Il presume that the lovely Angela is your daughter ?’ said the stranger. ‘She is not our child, good sir,” was the reply: ‘but we love her as dearly as if she were. Half an hour ago she went out to fill her pitcher at the adjacent well—and thoss villains from whom you so generously rescued her, must have carried her off. We were growipg uneasy at her prolonged absence ; and indeed [ was arming myself | to hasten in search of her when you brought es comicbooks.com