The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 256: what you’re looking at

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

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But the chivalrous ge- | upon the heath, whereas she had in re- nerosity of his character would not al-| ality only caught a portion of it, as the low him to proclaim to the world that} reader is already aware. the Baroness Hamelen cast upon him ‘ What were you saying to yourself?’ amorous looks, and introduced him with | demanded the Baron of Alténdorf. all the significancy of the tender passion ‘Nothing of any consequence,’ re- into her dwelling. And there is another} plied Father Cyprian; «I will now 20 reason, my lord—yes, another reason,’| and question the landlord,’ and with added the priest. with a deep inward | these words, he quitted the room. chuckle, ‘why the Austrian would not set the ‘laborites against the White Mansion, nor even do aught that might in any way direct the suspicions of John Zitzka thereto; and this reason is that the Austrian knew that the Princess Elizabetha was harbored with- | THE CARTHUSIAN, THE HOST, AND THE in those walls.’ HOSTESS. ‘True!’ ejaculated the Baron of AI- tendorf; ‘that reason is conclusive.—| 'THreapine a long and sombre gal- But is it not possible that the Austrian|lery, Father Cyprian proceeded to may have obtained a clue to the fate of | what in modern parlance would be his pages, and that his sudden departure | termed the bar-parlor; and there he was for the purpose of following some | found the landlord and landlady casting such a trace along the southern road.’ | up a long reckoning upon a slate. ‘Ah! let him have discovered what| The moment the priest's shadow trace he may,’ exclaimed the Carthu-| darkened the open doorway, the host sian, ‘he will sooner or later lose it al- | respectfully invited him to enter, and together. It must be like a stream|the hostess placed a chair for his ac- which suddenly disappears under ground | commodation, at the same time proffer- —and vainly does the traveller seek to | ing him a glass of cordial, compounded ascertain where it rises again.’ after a specific receipt of her own. For ‘ Yes, the simile is correct enough,’ | this civility the Carthusian returned observed the Baron of Altendorf; ‘but| suitable acknowledgments, accepting suppose that the stream of the Aus | the liqueur and bestowing his benedic- trian’s should happen to carry him up to | tion upon the worthy couple, He then the very wall of my castle ? asked for the score of the entertain- ‘What, think you that he will hasten | ment given to his party ; and the land- into his own country, and return with | lord presented him the slate, which was an army to besiege Altendorf, in order | covered with such extraordinary hiero- to discover the fate of his pages or/| glyphic characters, that the priest could avenge them?’ exclaimed the Carthu-|not possibly have decyphered- them sian. *No, no, my lord—such an even- {even if he had attempted the task. But tuality is not to be apprehended; es-| having ascertained the sum total, he li- pecially as the royal standard of Bohe- | quidated it with readiness, and added a mia will shortly float over the towers of | liberal gratuity for the behoof of the Altendorf.* ‘domestics. ‘Doubtless the Austrian must have| ‘Have you been tolerably busy of passed this way,’ said the Marquis of | late 2?’ inquired the Carthusian. accept- Schomberg, after a pause, during which | ing a second glass of cordial which the the two nobles and the priest did honor | landlady forced upon him. to the repast; ‘and in that case, it is} * We had been dull enough for some probable that he sojourned at this hos- weeks until the day before yesterday,’ CHAPTER LXIV. tel. We might ascertain from the | replied thé host; ‘and thena party ar- landlord how many persons travelled | rived in the evening, passed the night, with him, so as to learn whether the|and remained until about two o’clock treacherous page Ermach be in his| yesterday. But during that short inter- suite.’ val, circumstances of such a terrible ‘Aye, and lhkewise Angela Wildon,’| and ut the same time singular nature muttered the priest to himself; for he! occurred, that never before were events we CC ae comicbooks.com