The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

ere eS eee i 96 THE BRONZE STATUE. tion that she was even younger by three | tately downward for a little distance ; years than yourself when Death thus | then it was continued in a straight line, laid his icy hand upon her, then let us/ and ultimately it rose with an ascent as kneel down together, Angela—yes, let | steep as the declivity in the first instance us kneel, my dear child, and pray rar been abrupt. At the extremity a the soul of the Baroness Ermenonda!’ | dozen stone steps led upward, but were And they knelt and prayed accord- | Closed by a trap-door overhead. ‘This ingly ; and, their pious intercession be- the White Lady raised without difficul- | “ a > ; ¥ -* ie : = SS a . — ——— + = — z a 4 r 7 e - ~~» . . «, . ' -* a? - = « uf ~ = “2 — - 4 ~ > 4 Se eS NN SS eee = -- -—s ~~ -® P ~ = — 7 > . ~ i Bite a tem, * - 1, me ee ad bs o - ‘ - «<< -o we . ns a ——_ J. be ~ ~ —- < - ‘ ~— _ 7. Sn « r aie Pp * en, ey oT: —_——_- = —_ ae - 4 - - =? ~ > " ~<a « - — oe » ~s - — ~~ a4 . - _ a ing terminated, they rose from their| ty; and, having extinguished the lamp, suppliant posture and pursued their way she gave her hand to Angela, who, em~-. through that sombre wilderness of | erging safely, found herself inside a lit- tombs. These memorials of the dead | tle chapel, open in front, and standing exhibited every variety of form, style | amongst the trees which stretched from of sculpture, and fashion of enrich-| the forest towards the extremity of the ment, peculiar to the centuries during | right wing of the castle. which they had been accumulating ; the primitive stone coffin which may be termed the Christian sarcophagus, the catafale with its lavishly decorated ar- CHAPTER XXVI. chitecture, the table tomb with the plain surface and pencilled sides, the ! HUBERT. effigy monument such as that of the Baroness Ermenonda, medallions, mu- ‘l'ne fresh breeze of heaven fanned ral tablets, and facade, compositions|the maiden’s cheek, the silver moon with columns, pediments, and niches. | bathed in silver the scene that met her And as some were of white marble and | eyes, and she found herself not only others of black, the gleaming of the for- | beyond the precincts of the feudal man- mer and the sombre shades of the lat- | sion, but with the deep moat rolling be- ter, stretching away on every side un-| tween the spot where she stood aud the til the deep darkness appeared to engulf | walls of that vast establishment. It re- them, produced not only a grand con-| quired, however, but a brief and slight trast, but also effects at once striking and | excercise of the judgment, and of the awe-inspiring. faculty of calculating distances, to en- Through these spacious vaults did the | able Angela to perceive that it was the White Lady and Angela pursue their | last passage which she had threaded, way; and in a few minutes they | with its downward and its upward slope, reached a large iron grating, communi-/} that led beneath the moat of Altendorf cating with a wide and handsome as- | Castle. cent of marblesteps which, as her mys-| ‘I'he trap-door, which fitted with a terious guide informed Angela, Jed up| marvellous accuracy into the floor of the to an oratoria where, when a member | little chapel, was immediately closed by of the Altendorf family died, it was the | the Carmelite, who, hurrying Angela custom to perform the service of the | away from the spot, led her into the dead, ere the coffin was borne down | deep recess of the forest. Having pro- into the vaults to be consigned to the | ceeded thus in silence for nearly ten sepulchre prepared to receive it. minutes, they reached a narrow path It was not, however, by the iron grat | winding amidst the trees, and which ing that the Carmelite and the maiden | was well known to Angela, inasmuch as proceeded ; but having thus reached the | it led in the direction of Wildon’s cot- extremity of the central avenue that | tage—that home whereof the maiden divided the place of tombs, the former | was doomed by Rodolph’s persecution turned abruptly off to the leit, followed | to take leave, heaven only knew for by the latter. Skirting the low and} how long! massive wall, beneath the groined arches, | In the deep shade of the overhanging they hurried on for a short distance, | trees, a horse, ready caparisoned with when the White Lady suddenly paused | a pillion, was standing ; and Hubert, the and opened a small door: with a key| old steward, was holding it by the | ——— —<— oe eet ae ee ee — oe ee eee ee -—- = —, pn ms = ¥ -— a SSS SEES _» i _ == - - ts me ~ ~ - -* - a - -=- ‘ sae. ee DE — >. - - ~~) + = oo? atom wee + = oh are « ~~ oy ~~ * ie r 5 > ae mmr = - .- Cs .. = = - * - - - = = + * 7 =~ - ~ - et FR a Se ee of 2 x ¥ — - - ee i “ . = - - = 3 - mye a which she took from beneath her gar-| bridle. He said nothing, but as he ments; then, having admitted herself| came forward and the moonbeams play- and Angela into a narrow passage, she | ed upon his countenance, an expression carefully locked the door again. of satisfaction, mingled with anxiety, This passage, which they now thread-| was read on his features. Taking @ ed rapidly, sloped somewhat precipi- | heavy purse from the bosom of his doub- a og -" —— * - Je pind Ct—D =< —— +m . - ~ 7 - ee ? _— + ~~ ee oe % = aa ae a on ee Behe! J a < _ ! —wh 7 *, comicbooks.com