The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

al ae eo, eee ee a ow eer eae etnies ——e 80 THE BRONZE STATUE. recovering from the mingled amazement | lords, he added, turning towards the Bo- and vexation which had suddenly seized |hemian nobles, ‘when ye will repent the upon hin as the Taborite chief was giv-|readiness wherewith ye caught me the ing utterance to the latter part of his sen-| most injurious suspicions against me. tence: then, hastiy stepping close up to The peers this addressed gave bo reply : that formidable individual, the Knight fixed | the ‘ncidents which had occurred ere ZLitz- on his countenance a keen and searching | ka made his appearance were still fresh in look, o serving in a Jow but emphatic | their mem ries, and the accusations of the whisper, ‘ You know who lam?’ P.ron of Altendorf had left upon their ‘Yes? was the response, delivered in the | minds an impression which nothing save @ same under tone. fill and most satisfactory explanation could ‘Then keep the secret, brave Zitzka,’| wipe away. Such an explanation did not said the Knight: ‘1 adjure you, by the) however appear to be forthcoming and if friendship which we pledged each other | it really were that Sir Ernest de Colmar in your pavilion—by the rings which we | did not choose to condescend to give it, the exchanged ; nobles nevertheless felt well convinced that ‘Fear nothing,’ interrupted the Taborite | he was unable to afford any. So faras the chieftain: ‘ your secret is safe with me , imputation went that he was @ spy of the This dialorue only eccupied a few mo-| Taborites, they took Zitzka’s word to the ments, during which the Bohemian nobles | contrary : but although released in their resumed their seats at the council table, in | opinions from this charge, the Koight still lay under the suspicion of lmposture In Fe order to testify their readiness to enter : upon an argument of words with the T'a-| spect to his name, rank, and alleged posi- borite chieftain, since the sterner reason- | tion as Austrian plenipotentiary. The circumstances attending the assem- ng of the sword was rendered so con- pletely unavailing. Sir Ernest de Colmar, oly had however taken so sudden ani une- expected a turn in consequence of the ap- having exchanged with Zitzka the brief, rapid, but emphatic observation just re- | pearance of Zitzka, that it now mattered but litle to the Bohemian nobles whether corded, returned likewise to his own seat, which he proceeded to occupy with a pro-| Sir Ernest de Colmar were really the Aus- trian Envoy or not: and their eyes were found indifference and contempt for the threatening looks throwa upon him by the | now intently fixed upon the Taborite chief- tain, from whose lips was so anxiously Baron of Altendorf. ‘ My lord,’ exclaimed Zitzka, still leaning |awaited the fiat that was to decree their against the pillar, and appearing from that | fate—life or death, freedom or bondage! st to dominate the assembly with his} And ina solemn tone and with impres- formidable looks; ‘before [| address you|sive vanner did the formidable Zitzka ad- upon the affairs of our country, it 1s mee! dress the Bohemian noblemen assembled and proper that I should again repudiate, | in that old gothic hall. as emphatically as Sir Ernest de Colmar} ‘I have already assured your lordships, has himself thrown back, the foul a'lega-|he said, ‘tbat resistance would be fruit- tion that there is aught of a treacherous con- | less, and that ye are completely in my pow- nexion existing between us. Widely as ye|er. The passages leading even to this may differ from me in my opinion and in po- | apartment are thronged with my troops— licy--my lords, inveteratety as ye may detest|and a single word from my lips would me—deeply as ye may hate me,—yet, if ye| cause ye each and all to be hanged on the speak the honest and impartial truth, ye | highest tower of the Castle within a few cannot affirm that even the most malignant | minutes, for the demonstration of a mur- tongues have ever dared to impute habits | derous purpose which ye ere now made of falsehood to John Zitzka! No—Zitzka|against me. But! can afford to be mercl- never spake deceitfully—and ye may |ful: nay, more—I seek to establish peace therefore believe him now, when he so-|in Bohemia. Listen, then, to the terms lemnly proclaims that a braver man, a no-; which I have now to prescribe: give a pa- bler knight, or a more generous-hearted | tient and atteniive ear to the conditions gentleman never breathed the air of this| which I am about to explain. ‘tis well . ass [Elizabetha is harbored in some hero, ‘for thus frankly adopting the cham-j| place of concealment, doubtless in the pionship of my reputation so foully aspersed | hope that her name may sooner or later de- by the Baron of Altendorf ; but ’tis a mat-|come a rallying-signal for the friends of ter whereupon it were useless to bestow| monarchy. Equally certain is it that the farther comment. Time will reveal many | late King was possessed of vast treasures, extraordinary things,’ continued the Knight | which disappeared from the royal palace at emphatically ; and the day must come, my | the same time with the Princess Elizabetha. | ———aE OO ns comicbooks.com