The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 175: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. 173 ly pleased to find by the question put to him that he was personally a stranger to the Baroness; then, affecting to be ignorant who she was, he said, ‘ And may I on my side beg to solicit the name of the lady who has honored me with her thanks, for a service immeasurably beneath so gracious a tribute !” ‘Then your excellency is a stranger —a perfect stranger in Prague!’ ex- claimed the Baroness, evading an im- mediate reply to his query, and casting on him a glance which was meant to pierce into his very soul. ‘Tam a perfect stranger in Prague,’ returned De Colmar, emphatically, al- though it cost him an effort thus to deal in even so slight and venial a falsehood. ‘Indeed, I only arrived in your fuir capi- tal this morning—and ; ‘When do you propose to leave it, Sir Knight?’ demanded the Baroness hastily, and again with a scrutinizing | look, to assure herself that his repre- gentations were truly made. ‘] must continue my journey to-mor- row, or at latest, on the day following,’ said De Colmar; for he now plainly perceived that his chance of procuring an invitation to the dwelling of the: Ba- roness, depended upon the auswers he gave to her questions, and of what na- ture these answers should be, the ques- tions themselves suggested beyond all possibility of mistake. ‘But all this while,’ he exclaimed, ‘I am keeping you standing, fair lady, in the midst of a public thoroughfare, whereas | ought to offer my escort to conduct you as far as your own abode.’ ‘] dwellat some distance from Prague, Sir Knight,’ observed the lady, now re- placing the veil over her countenance and slowly resuming her walk, with De Colmar by her side. ‘However great the distance, it would charm me to accompany you thither,’ was the answer, as’ promptly as it was courteously given. The Baroness Hamelen made no im- mediate response: but quickening her pace, she proceeded towards the south- ern gate of the city, on gaining which, she suddenly stopped short, exclaiming, ‘If you pass beyond the fortifications, Sir Knight, you will not perhaps be ena- bled to re-enter until the morning ; as | believe that the T'aborite sentinels re- ceive strict orders respecting the egress and ingress of strangers between sunset and sunrise.’ ‘Then how am I to act, fair lady?’ asked De Colmar, pretending to be deeply perplexed. ‘On the one hand, courtesy and inclination alike prompt me to offer my escort so far as you will permit me to accompany you: and on the other hand, I should be at a loss where to procure a night’s lodging, all stranger as I am in these parts, if shut out from access to the inn at which lL have taken up my quarters.’ ‘If your inclination do really accom- pany your gallant notions of courtesy, Sir Louis de Hazburgh,’ suid the lady, ‘you may rest assured that on reaching | the door of my dwelling, such hospital- | ity as I am enabled to afford will’ be most cordially offered. But 1 warn you,’ she continued, her eyes flashing through her veil as she once more fixed a pene- trating glance upon the knight’s counte- nance—a look the searching scrutiny of which he affected not to observe, ‘I warn you that my mansion is one of luxury, pleasure, and delight, and that it is only accessible to those who are prepared to plunge headlong into all the enjoyments which may be supposed to exist where the God of Wine, and the Goddesses of Love, Music, and Danc- ing hold their brilliant court.’ ‘Ah! too happy should I be, gracious lady, to be honored with an introduction to that realm of bliss!’ exclaimed De Colmar, assuming a tone of tender and and melting entreaty. ‘Then shall I hesitate no longer to initiate your Excellency into the de- lights and fascinations of my mansion,’ observed the lady : ‘for I feel convinced that you will not be startled by certain little precautions which I may take— even should the mysteriousness thereof extend to a demand that you suffer yourself to be blindfolded while repair- ing on horseback to a scene of ecstatic bliss that will amply repay you for the annoyance of the preliminary ordeal.’ ‘Command me in all things, lady,’ exclaimed De Colmar; 1 am your slave —and moreover the romance of this adventure suits well with my disposi- tion.’ ‘ You have spoken in a tone of frank- ness that pleases me,’ said the lady. ‘Already do we understand each other as if we were acquaintances of long standing: and the feeling of confidence wherewith you have inspired me, will render your excellency doubly welcome to my abode. Come, Sir Louis de Haz- burgh, we require no farther parley upon the subject. | Thus speaking, the lady took the knight’s arm, which she pressed gently Ccomicbooks.com al 7 a (ye - x —o car rn oa te % ees - % 9 Ss 2 * k — >. a a act 2 ~ $ : of? * A a