The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

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Oh! this is} which the condition imposed upon him the torture of blighted hope ; this is the | by Satan relative to Gloria was already crucifixion of disappointment! And working out its own fulfilment. were it not for the grand solace impart- wend Ten thousand thanks, my _ noble- ed by the conviction that thou art saved, | hearted Ernest!’ said the dark houri, in I should hold life so cheap as to be|a tone of enthusiastic gratitude. * To- scarcely worth defending if menaced | morrow, at mid-day, in some grove by by danger. ‘Thou goest away. Satanais,|the side of the river, to which thine to thy far-off clime—thou leavest the | instinct will lead thee, ‘here shult thou wild forests of Bohemia for the flowers | meet Gloria, and she will make known and the fragrant groves of thine own| her wishes to thee. And now Earnest native land; and may the blessings of|dear Earnest, farewell—farewell for all good angels attend upon thee! but | ever!’ when thou art gone, all willbe darkand| ‘I'bus speaking in a tremulous tone, cheerless for me !’ | Satannis bent over the knight as he Jay ‘Not so,’ answered the houri, in a; in his couch, and imprinted a burning tone that was deep with meaning and | kiss upon his forehead. Another mo- with a look that was melting with fond- | ment, and he stretched out his arms fo ness, ‘earth has yet bright hopes and | snatch her to his breast and fold her in golden prospects for thee! ‘T'hou say-|a fond embrace; but see eluded his est that thy love has been given to me ;/| grasp, and gathering up a black mantle thou wilt not, therefore, refuse the boon | which lay upon the chair, she hastily which I am about to demand at thy | threw the sable garment around her,— hands ?” fixed upon him one long, last, lingering ‘Adored and worshipped being,’ said look of ineffable love, and then disap- De Colmar, ‘name thy wish, and fear | peared from the apartment. not for a moment that I shall fail to per- At the very same instant, the flame form it, even though at the sacrifice of| of the lamp expired in its socket; and my life !’ silence and darkness surrounded Sir Er- ‘It is destined that thou art to over-| nest de Colmar with a sense of utter whelm me with priceless obligations,’ | loneliness. returned Satanais. ‘But the boon [| Wondering whether he was really seek at thine hands is comparatively | awake or asleep and dreaming, he sate light and trifling after the risk of body | up in his couch, pressed his hand to his and soul which thou hast so recently | forehead, to steady his thoughts, and incurred on my account. For what I| gave way to the reflections that crowd- have now to demand of thee is that/edin upon his mind But the longer thou wilt accord thy protection and /|he meditated upon the scene which had friendship to my beloved sister Gloria. ‘ere occulred, the more bewildered he | ‘The same inscrutable destiny which | grew and the less coufident did he be- compels me to quit Kurope and return|come in regarding it as a. substantial to my native clime in the far-off crient, | fact instead of a freak of the imagina- ordains that she shall not by my com-|tion. At length his mind experienced panion. ‘The promptings of that secret | a sense of such complete weariness and inspiration which renders us each alike | exhaustion that he lay down to repose obedient to the decrees of our fate,| again: and slumber speedily fell upon impel me in one direction and Gloria | him, dreamless now and deep. in another. We are doomed to sever}; When he awoke at a somewhat late ‘froin each other; the orphan sisters/hour, the sun was shining gloriously must separate and enter upon different | through the windows of his chamber: paths ; and the Almighty alone can tell | and a gentle breeze fanned his feverish whether those ways will ever lead to| countenance. He rose and observed the same point, so that Satanais and/that one of the casements which un-— Gloria may meet again! But if thou, | folded doorwise, was standin artly Ernest, will grant my unfriended sister | open. Having hastily choose be his thy friendship and brotherly affection— apparel, Sir Ernest proceeded to exa- comicbooks.com