The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 265: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE teach the Bohemian people to embrace and practise that Christianity which our Blessed Saviour himself taught in the beginning, but which has become de- graded by pomp, ostentation, and luxu- riousness, into the veriest heathenism.’ ‘The voice of the Captain-General had risen to ahigh key in proportion as his feelings grew excited with indignation ; and leaving his seat, he began to pace the room with uneven steps. ‘Yes, my motives are pure— my in- tentions good and holy,’ he continued, in a musing tone, sometimes speaking aloud, and then lowering his voice to a whisper; ‘and whatever may be the result of this struggle, the world shall have no cause to declare that petty mo- tives of selfishness urged me on! No —oh! no; for ambition is dead in my sepulchral heart—that heart whose first affections were blighted, withered But, ah! wherefore now revive the memory of that perished love of mine? wherefore dive to-recover that pearl of sentiments which, during long years, I have endeavored to consign to the pro- foundest depths of the waters of obli- vion? QO, Ermenonda, thine’ image forces itself at times upon my contem- | plation, and this is one of those mo-| ments which unman me ”’ But with his hand of iron sinews the | tear warrior dashed away a from his eye; then, as if to seek refuge in some earnest occupation tide of reminiscences which had begun to roll in upon his brain, his seat and continued his examination of the large map spread out upon the table. ‘To garrison all these places,’ he said, in that same musing tone in which stalwart STATUE. 263 | But she is a known devotee to the Ca- ' tholic faith, as well as a worshinper of cherished secret _ hood, | from the) he resumed | he had originally spoken, * will demand | a large force; besides which, from many of the aristocratic strongholds | must expect resistance, and then will come the waste of time and troops in siege and beleaguerment. the fortalices and mansions in the lage of Prague?’ he asked himself, at the same time carrying his finger slow- But what of vil- | ly round the spot where the Bohemian | metropolis was nrarked upon the map. ‘Here is the princely dwelling-place of the Marcuis of Schomberg.” But he has fled, and a handful my gallant. will be sufficient to occupy Then what have we aere! ‘T‘aborites this house. Baroness Hamelen. Ak! rumor de- ciares that she is an excellent woman, | royalty. And now that I bethink me of these circumstances, I remember that the name of the Baroness Hame- len, when one day accidentally men- tioned in Gloria’s presence, caused her to experience a sudden excitement of so lively and strange a nature that I was alarmed. But she alleged the invaria- ble excuse of women who wish to con- ceal the real nature of the thoughts which have surprised them into the exhibition of sudden emotions; yes, she pleaded a transitory indisposition, and when I demanded if she were ac- quainted with the Baroness Hamelen, and if what she knew concerning her, she turned upon me a look full of artlessness, and declared that she was utterly unknown to that lady. But, ah! that was not the first nor the only occa- sion on which I suspected that Gloria s of a deep, dark, and terrible setae tadelevoeh which she has not dared reveal even to me, who am, nevertheless, acquainted with that one tremendous incident in her life which— But here am I suffering my thoughts to wander again from the important topic which alone ought to concentrate them; and as the Captain-General thus inter- rupted himself witha tone of vexation, he fixed his looks upon the map more intently than ever. ‘The White Man- sion is a mere dwelling-house,’ he con- tinued in his musings; ‘and I need not place even a single soldier there. But, ah! here we have Hamelen Castle—a stronghold in the immediate neighbor- and belonging too to the same noble lady. What says my private me- morandum-book relative to this place ?’ And as Zitzka thus musingly interro- SO, gated himseif, he unlocked a draw in the table at which he was sitting, and thence drew forth a small set of tablets fastened with a clasp, ‘hese he in- spected for afew moments, and speedi- ly lighted upon the special entry, or memorandum, for which he was seék- ing. ‘Here it he said, in the same humor and tone of self-communing as before; * and what do we glean there- from’ ‘+ Hamelen Castle, belonging to the baroness of the same name: a strong place ; underwent important re- ° . is ! |pairs a few years ago, and is supposed The White Mansion, inhabited by the | to have vast subterranean passages. The castle is now inhabited by a num- ber of young men, maintained at the abounding 3 1n charity and be snevolence. | i cost and through the benevolence of comicbooks.com