The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. | 79 4 ~ readers will remember, had been led to ex- | about te make upon me when the brave Sir pect this proceeding on the part of Zitzka.| Ernest de Colmar raised his voice and bade But the Bohemian nobles were struck with you listen to reason,’ amazement and even terror: forthe thought} ‘Tis as I thought? ejaculated the flashed to their minds that the stern Re-/ Baron of Altendorf, unable to curb his fury furmer’s presence was in itself a proof, that | at the check which the Council had so. un- not only the Castle but even Prague itself | expectedly Sustained, and seeking to vent must be in the possession of the Taborites. | his rage upon some one :*’tis as | thought ? They therefore beheld themselves com- | he repeated: * this Austrian impostor was pletely in the power of Zitzka; and brave | a spy—in league with the Taborites though they naturally were, yet the convic-| ‘Were it not a coward’s deed to set tion of thorough helplessness which burst one’s foot on a fallen man,’ said Sir Ernest upon their perception, prevented the hands | de Colmar, in a stern tone,—* I would give which mechanically flew to the sword-hilts | thee back the fou! lie which thou hast ut- from drawing the weapons from their | tered” sheatiis. ‘lie? thundered the Baron of Alten- ‘My lords,” exclaimed Zitzka, in a tone dorf, now Jashed up Into an ungovernable of such confidence that the nob'es indéed passion: * perish the traitor who dares thus saw how hopeless was their position—how | to insult me! desperate their case.—‘ resistance will be And darting forward like a tiger escaping ain: My followers are now in the garri-| from its den, the furious Baron aimed a tre- son of Prague—yours have been disarmed. | mendous blow at Sir Ernest de Colmar: Every avenue of the Castle is guarded by | but, although at the instant that the mena- the ‘Faborites: escape is impossible—-and | cing weapon cut the air above the Knight’s any attempt at outrage against myself will | head, the sword of the latter was still in be instantaneously frustrated and signally | its sheath—yet, even more rapidly than the avenged.’ }eye can wink, did it flash from thence— This intelligence, conveyed in such| there was a sudden clang as the weapons terse, brief, and emphatic language, filled met—and the huge brand of the Lord of the nobles with dismay—for they fancied | Altendorf went whistling and Whirling to that their existence was about to be sacri-| the farthest end of the hall, where it fell ficed to the wrath of the Taborite chieftain, | with a loud metallic din on the stone pave- Determined however to sell their lives as | ment. dearly as possible, and simultaneously ani- The Marquis of Schomberg and the mated with the same resolution, they sprang | Count of Rosenberg caught the Baron by from their seats—drew their swords—and | the arms and drew him hastily back, as if were about to rush upon Zitzka with the | thus snatching him from the well-merited intention of immolating him and then en-| vengeance of the Austrian Knight: but deavouring to cut their way through his | Sir Ernest, deliberately returning his sword followers qutside to its scabbard, said, ‘ Fear nothing for But, quick as thought, Sir Ernest de | your friend, my lords: I give him the life Colmar hastened to interpose himself be- | which you could not protect, wereI bent tween the rash Bohemian lords and the upon taking it,’ Taborite General,—exclaiming, ‘Peace,| ‘By heaven ejuculated Zitzka, whom msensate nobles! Would ye invoke a doom | this last incident had painfully excited; which this generous hearted warrior at pre-|* the Baron of Altendorf merits signal pun-. sent dreams not of awarding? Peace, || ishment for the outrage which he has say : for he comes hither with the mien and | essayed to perpetrate upon a Knight as aspect of one who is disposed to settie all truly chivalrous and honorable as ever difficulties by the tongue rather than by the ; wielded the cross-handled sword. What! sword | is it thus, Bohemian nobles,” thundered The Bohemian peers fell back suddenly, | the Taborite chief, his countenance be- as if obedient to the voice of Inspiration ;| coming as terrible as his tone.—‘is j¢ and Zitzka, so unruffled that he had not | thus that you would seek to conciliate my even laid his hand upon his weapon, leant | mercy and forbearance? {Sir Ernest de . calmly and unceremoniously against a Colmar is known to me, it is true; but he ee pillar as he dirted a look ot cordial recog-| is no colleague of the Taborite—much less nition upon the Austrian Knight. a treacherous spy! Would to God that ‘ Be seated, my lords,’ said the Taborite| he were indeed an ally of mine,’ added chieftain at length ; ‘and I will explain to; Zitzka, with a strance emphasis and a look you the conditions upon which you may |of peculiar siguificancy: ‘but, alas! itis save your lives—those lives” he added! more likely that he will become an enemy !° more emphatically, ‘which you have for-| ‘Let us hope that it may be otherwise, feited by the dastard attempt that you were! brave Zitzka, said Sir Ernest de Colmar \ comicbooks.com