The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

nA _ aot .. > oF 7. + » : oe oe , SS ee Sa - ~ > THE BRONZE STATUE. 121 ~ _< - 5 ) Be ay . > © . et | xe Semele, Even had I given no promise before I| stupendous enterprise. I have already heard thy tale, I should give it now. | told thee, while narrating my history, Yes, I have demanded thy friendship, | that on the occasion of the last inter- and I am proud of possessing so inesti- | view which my deceased father had mable a boon; I have offered the tri-| with the Prince of Darkness, certain bute of my sincerest sympathy, and [| details were entered into by the latter will incur any risk to restore thee to| ere he passed away from Ildirim’s pre- happiness. A gain, therefore, ason the!sence. ‘l‘hose details I did not explain occasion of our former meeting on this | in their proper place in my narrative ; spot,—again do I invoke yon chaste orb | because they referred only to the means of night to attest the vow which I take | which Satan pointed out as necessary in the presence of high heaven—the | for adoption at the period when a Chris- vow of a Christian warrior, the lustre | tian Knight should appear as the cham- of whose name has never been dimmed| pion of my cause, if such happiness by disgrace! And this vow is to the| were ever indeed in store for us.— effect that I will become thy champion, |'That period has now arrived; this Satanais ; clothed in my trusty panoply | champion is found. Listen, then, my of steel, I will go forth to battle with | generous friend, to the course which it the Enemy of Mankind; and, reposing | behoves thee to pursue. Clad in com- my confidence in that Almighty Being| plete armor, with the vizor of thine who hurls the thunder and directs the | helmet closed, must thou ride forth, at lightning, I will venture upon this com- | eleven o’clock on the night of the 15th bat with the King of Hell. O, Moon! of this month, from whatsoever habi- thou pure and stainless regent of the | tation may at that moment be the place night, bear witness to this vow of mine; | of thine abode. Unattended and alone and, as thy voice belongs to that sweet|it is necessary that thou shouldst be ; ate chorus which makes the harmony of|the object of thine expedition being te the spheres, let it sound throughout the | likewise kept a profound secret. On ve vault of heaven to register my solemn|thus issuing from thy “dwelling, thou xs promise there !’ wilt ride forward in an easterly direc- i ‘Ernest, thou art the bravest as well | tion and at a gentle pace ; and thou wilt ca as the best of men,’ murmured Sa-/| halt as nearly as thou canst conjecture y tanais, in a voice which was now liquid | within a quarter of an hour of mid- and gentle with the expressive music| night. Ample leisure will thus be af- of the soul: ‘but again I conjure thee | forded to enable thyself and thy good to reflect—to weigh well the tremen-| steed to rest ere the moment of terrible dous peril thou art about to encounter, | combat shall arrive. For precisely at and to rush not rashly upon this appal- | twelve on that night will thine enemy ling path of danger ! emerge from the surrounding darkness; ‘My vow is registered in heaven’s|in terror, and mystery, and silence will high chancery, Satanais,’ responded the | he come; and then, O gallant warrior ! Austrian knight, in a tone of god-like | may God help thee to the victory !— heroism; ‘and even it thou thyself; But should’st thou fail,’ continued Sa- wast to fall upon thy knees and implore | tanais,’ her voice suddenly falling toa me to recant, the appeal were made in| tone so low and tremulous that it was vain! ‘Tell me, then, dear friend—tell | scarcely audible, although she approach- me, thou in whose welfare I experience | ed her countenance so close to De Col- | so deep an interest,—tell me how [ am | mar’s ear that her fragrant breath fan- if to proceed; direct my actions; prompt | ned his cheek, ‘but should’st thou fail,” ) me in the course that I am to pursue, | she repeated, pressing his hand with a so that [ may go forth at the fitting convulsive clasp, ‘and should the Enemy id ~~} Sl at eo ae des ‘ i. se hour and to the proper place to encoun- | of Mankind become the conqueror in ter the fiend whose accursed machina-|the strange and terrible combat, then ms tions have already entailed so much But—Oh! no, I cannot proceed; misery upon the family whence thou ‘tis too dreadful to contemplate such an art sprung.’ alternative !’ ‘Since thy generous purpose is thus| And laying her superb head upon the firmly established,’ said Satanais, fixing | Knight’s shoulder, Satanais was con- ; upon Sir Ernest de Colmar a look in| vulsed with sobs. ' which gratitude and admiration wete} ‘Oh! my dearest friend,’ exclaimed blended with love, ‘I shall no longer|Sir Ernest, throwing his arms around | hesitate to impart all the information! the splendid creature and straining her that is necessary to guide thee in thy/|to his breast with an almost passionate }} comicbooks.com