The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 189: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. 187 tablished by the emissary whom we| whole train of our notions respecting sent to Vienna? and did not the Baron| De Colmar was based in error and mis- of Altendorf unmask the cheat at the | understanding council table ?’ ‘Ah! but your ladyship forgets that this self-styled Sir Ernest de Colmar did really possess a credential signed by the Duke of Austria and the Lord High-Chancellor of that Duchy,’ ob- served the priest, ‘and that the Baron of Altendorf effaced those signatures by means of a chemical preparation wherewith he had provided himself for the special purpose. ‘Then the possession of such a cre- dential would seem to have proved that the Austrian was no impostor,’ said the ‘of Hazburvh. Baroness, ‘ but that our messenger must | have made some mistake in his inqui- ries and researches at Vienna,’ ‘Our impression at the time when the Council met,’ returned the Carthu- sian, ‘was that the signatures were really forgeries; but as there were hu positive means of demonstrating this | facton the day when the Bohemian nobles assembled, and as it was never- theless important to throw all possible discredit on De Colmar and exclude him from the Council, the scheme of erasing the signatures was adopted.— This the Baron of Altendorf undertook to do, and cleverly enough he managed the task. The stratagem would have produced the desired effect and De Col- | | ? ‘Then is he no impostor? and were not the signatures of his credential forged 7’ demanded the Baroness Ha- melen, with increasing amazement. ‘So far from being an impostor, my dear lady,’ responded the Carthusian solemnly, ‘he is really a Knight, if he chooses to call himself so; and he is fully entitled to assume not only the name of De Colmar but likewise that As for forgery, he is incapable of such a deed! In a word But I must interrupt myself to in- form you that while on the road fo Al- tendorf Castle, I learnt from the lips of the pages a secret concerning their master, this Austrian of whom we have been speaking so much, a secret the re- velation of which flashed like a blaze of light athwart the darkness of my mind, rendering clear and apparent in a moment all that was before obscure, sinister, and unintelligible.’ ‘And that secret?’ exclaimed the Baroness, inquiringly. ‘Is of such vital importance that only in a whisper may it be breathed,’ added the priest. ‘Keep me not in suspense,’ cried the noble lady. ‘Tell me your secret.— Who is this Sir Ernest de Colmar, that you hesitate to give him up as a victim mar would have been ignominiously ex-_| yelled, had not the sudden appearance of Zitzka completely changed the aspect of affairs.’ ‘But wherefore did you take so much trouble to destroy the character of the Austrian upon that occasion?’ demand- the Baroness. ‘ This was a point which { could not comprehend at the time.’ ‘ Because the Baron of Altendorf and | myself suspected him of some sinister policy which we could not comprehend, but which we believed to be hostile to our own schemes,’ continued Father Cyprian, in explanation. ‘You re- member the mysterious letter which to the Bronze Statue? Who is-he, I say?’ she demanded, with increasing impatience. The Carthusian approached his lips to her ear and whispered a few words. The Baroness turned her head towards him with a species of convul- sive start, and fixed her eyes upon his countenance in mingled amazement and incredulity. ‘Lady, I never jest,’ he said in a solemn tone: ‘and even if I did, this would not be the occasion nor that per- | sonage the subject.’ | . | : ‘1 am surprised beyond all power of expression—bewildered beyond all con- Lord Rodolph sent to the Baron, and of | jecture on my part,’ exclaimed the har: o which the Knight himself was the bear- er? It was that missive which engen- dered all the suspicions that led to so many useless precautions ‘ ‘ Useless precautions?’ ejaculated the Baroness in suprise. ‘Yes, useless precautions,’ repeated Father Cyprian, ‘ not only because they were rendered unnecessary by the breaking-up of the Council in so sud-|} Hamelen. ' ness. ‘Ah! well indeed may you hesi- ? ‘tate how to proceed——~ ‘And yet time is wearing on,” said the priest, glancing towards the clepsy- dra: ‘’tis now within a few minutes of midnight, and the silver bell will sound its summons shortly.’ ‘Oh! Iam in no humor for pleasure and gaiety now,’ cried the Baroness | ‘A weight sits upon my den a manner, but likewise because the! soul, a sense of suffocation prevails in comicbooks.com « é — . -_— * * eo <e — e- e Eon Ss. x rs 7 =. » ry” 5 ‘“ _ » ro qo ‘ oe LY Pe ioe ™ ad £ é ~~ - pen > ‘ . og’ +e * ~ - a ie a ae a o* - o- — wi i