The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 243: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. 241 his own, he felt a flood of elysian rapture flowing steadily in unto his heart’s re- servoirs, and thence branching off in every direction throughout his entire being. ‘Yes, you love me, with my olive skin and my tresses dark as ebony,’ re- sumed Satanais, after a long pause, and again speaking with an abstraction of manner which seemed to indicate that she wus rather communing aloud with herself than addressing her observations directly and purposely to De Colmar; ‘you love me, with my complexion of bistre and my hair of raven blackness ! Oh! how singular is the passion of love —how eccentric, how capricious! But rent, and your tears ial} on behalf of vour sister Gloria !’ ‘ Yes: and therefore you cannot won- ‘der that Tam unhappy, nor blame me if l weep?’ murmured Satanais, gently | disengaging herself from De Colmar’s ‘arms. and taking a seat by the side of the couch, but still leaving her hand in his grasp. ‘The terrible fatality which attached itself to me, and from which noble generosity achieved my emancipation, appears to have fastened upon the footsteps of my devoted sister. Satan, in surrendering his claim upon vour | me, has doubtless resolved to eomesh Ls , -nis owl. still You do love me,’ she exclaimed, | suddenly awakening trom that deep pre-occupation in which the peculiar | nature of her thoughts had for nearly a | minute held her; ‘ yes, you do love me —and that avowal ought to happy! Happy—oh: yes, [ might be | happy yet—— But suddenly checking herself with a species of convulsive start, such as one gives when stopping short on the brink of a précipice to which the unconscious steps have advanced during a profound reverie, Satanais averted her counte- nance and pressed one of her hands to} © : : : ‘fect that I am too just to confound the her brow, still abandoning the other to the hold of Sir Ernest de Colmar. ‘Merciful heaven! you are unhappy Satanais !’ exclaimed the knight, draw- make me | |'Satan in — ee eee —_ ee ———— — | ment.’ ing her suddenly towards him by the) hand which he thus retained in his own. ‘ No—no,’ she cried, abruptly disen- gaging herself from his grasp; then, as if instantaneously repenting the move- ment, she threw her arms around his neck and burst into a flood of tears. ‘ Beloved weep weep not, I implore you !’ said De Col- Satanais. mar. as he strained her to his breast, and covered her cheeks, her lips, and her brow with kisses. ‘+ Alas! alas! must [ not weep for that appalling destiny which has led to so of passionate linpetuosity. unhappy, Ernest ; and | should be re- duced to the blackest despair, were it not for this love of thine which beams upon me, like the 1 through the dense cloud that envelopes my soul !° ‘Oh! I can under too well,’ said DD the deepest sym] athy Cn at tne Ae LLeiavit Stal ot hope stand you foll well, ‘vour heart is (‘olmar, in atone ot her in those toils which shall make her In abandoning the service of heaven, the unhappy Gloria has been hurried by an evil influence into that of hell: and, a Daughter of Glory only in name, she has become a Daughter of reality. But you, my cenerous-hearted Ernest, you do not think the worse of me on account of my crimes ?’ suddenly demanded Satanais, fixing her looks, which were full of unspeakable tenderness, upon the Austrian knight. ‘ Already have I given Gloria an as- which her sisterly solicitude required on your behalf,’ said De Col- mar: «and that assurance was to the ef- stern SUrAance deeds of one with those of another.’ ‘Yes, Gloria told me that you had civen utterance to that generous senti- murmured Satanais, with an in- creasing fondness in the ardor of her looks: ‘but L was anxious to receive the same assurance from your own lips.— And, oh! my noble-hearted champion, my chivalrous friend, my beloved Er- nest. [thank thee for this proof of good towards me! exclaimed, lis tha PCILOY Siit | Javishing upon the knight the tenderest not—oh! | ‘CO Satanais. thou art mine, and | am thine |’ he said, in a deep voice, which bespoke the concentration ot indescri- 'bable emotions; for his senses were in- 'toxicated, as it were, by the influence , 'which that splendid much crime?’ she exclaimed, 1n a tone | ) . ¥ es, i LI710 | tuousness . . ® > t} iy * - 4 " . — it) cL YoOiCe ‘ Lei VV ci ) Li¢ cea creature’s beauty and fascinations shed upon him, her vhole being appearing LO breathe‘a per- fume of love, and to exhale a soft volup- inefiably [iit ltin: and tender. l_rnest,’ she asked, : tOuUS and low, , + Y¥hat mean you, = + ’ . > | > at ly . ly ' as hel Cy cs filled with a delicious jan- gor, which for a few instants almost ™ ' . i. . i 4} = oe . | COLDS vel) i queda tineil superva, lus- tre: “what mean you by declaring that thou art mine and that I am thine ?’ COMmICDOOKS.com ~ ~~ . ie = a 4