The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

~ ae oe - - Se as << — — —— em lem —_— ~~ ll A eS oae et r " * - CS — —— - a > "ye > , 4 — * : ~ on — <n a —_. eS ~- = _ - > a ee — — oo ti. ~~ « = : Oe eee OER ee toe oe » e ‘ *_ I « ae ir 7 ae fe a =f © ; . ah bi ie 18h | sé. %* a P| ate | » | : | : ries) | Sa | a, Sie ‘ 4 ¢ eee | MG fa, t i : +n, NaC * t + af te : Pr Ae iG Sutte:! it Pam % 7 ;4 : * *\ aba OP ell ‘ee 6 1a ' be) a be} a a t “hy » f f H A : ‘ 7 Read: he J a ae ~~ tie a OR ma 156 But the Carthusian heeded not the question. Falling into a profound re- yerie, he rapidly surveyed the aspect that all his schemes and interests now presented in the new light which the discovery he had just made threw upon them; and for upwards of ‘a minute his ears and eyes were closed to all ex- ternal impressions. At length, as if struck by a sudden idea which had started up from amidst the current of his thoughts, he raised his searching - eyes towards Lionel’s countenance, ob- serving, ‘You and your fellow-page have been initiated in the mysteries of that mansion where you found the Princess Elizabetha ?’ The tell-tale blush which instantly mantled upon the cheeks of the two pages afforded a sufficient answer to the priest's question. ‘And you have not as yet made any revelations on that subject to your master?’ said Father Cyprian, inqui- ringly. ‘Oh! no,—no!’ responded Lionel shudderingly. ‘ We were bound by an oath so terrible, so solemn, and in the presence of such dreadful, ghastly, ap- palling witnesses : ‘Then never shall you have an op- portunity of breaking that oath?’ ex- claimed Father Cyprian, with menac- ing abruptness. And, as he gave utterance to those words, he beckoned the armed men to approach. ‘l'he signal was obeyed in an instant; the youths were again sur- rounded by their guards ; and the priest sprang upon his steed. A few rapid instructions did he whisper to the ear of the senior bravo of the party ; then, wheeling his horse skilfully round, he urged his animal up the bank; and, striking into the main road once more, he gallopped off in the direction of Prague. All this latter portion of the scene occurred in less than a minute, and the two young pages found, to their bitter | disappointment and increased terror, that the revelation of the secret which ee they hoped would prove the talisman of their safety, had only tended to confirm , the vindictive priest in his dark and mysteriously terrible intentions towards them, Exchanging looks of blank despair, the unhappy youths were constrained to resume their journey in the midst of the formidable escort; and thus, while Father Cyprian was retracing his way in a northerly direcvion towards THE BRONZE STATUE. the Bohemian capital, the little party continued their southern route at a ra- pid pace. In a short time they reached the spot at the cross-roads where Sir Ernest de Colmar had met Father Cyprian forthe first time, as related in one of the open- ing chapters of our narrative; but the little chapel was no longer to be seen! The place which it had occupied wag strewn with its ruins, a signal proof that the 'Taborite Reformers had passed that way ! It was about six o'clock in the even- ing when the party of horsemen came in sight of Altendorf Castle, the towers of which were instantaneously recog- nised by the youthful pages. But now the leader of the little band struck into a bye path across the fields; and, pur- suing a circuitous route, the party skirted the enclosed grounds on which the back of the Castle looked. In a short time they reached that portion of the great forest which has been g0 often alluded to as stretching up to the extremity of the right wing or the old feudal fortalice. Amidst the maze of verdure did the horsemen ride for some short distance, until they reached a little chapel, which had survived the rage—most likely be- cause it had escaped the notice—of the of the Taborites, when Zitzka led them to the subjugation of the southern pro- vinces of Bohemia. At this spot the party halted ; and the armed men, dismounting, fastened their horses amidst the trees. They then suffered the two pages to alight; and one of the bravos departed in the di- rection of the castle gate. His ab- sence lasted for upwards of half an hour ; and when he returned, it was in company with an old man whom the pages instantly recognised as Hubert the steward. Lhe look which this functionary threw upon them showed that the re- cognition was mutual; and it even struck both Lionel and Konrad that an expression of compassion and sympathy flashed in that rapid glance and appear- ed upon the old man’s lip. But if it were so, it disappeared in a moment; and the unhappy boys felt their hearts sink within them as the steward began to whisper earnestly apart with the leader of the band. In afew minutes, during which Li- onel and Konrad endured the most tor- turing suspense, Hubert accosted them, saying, *‘ You must submitto be bound, comicbooks.com