The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

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But this statement is at- tributed to the exaggerations of super- stitiois terror or the wilful misrepre- sentatious of malice.” ‘hus speaks the memorandum, gleaned from. an honest Taborite who knows the neigh- borhood of Hamelen Castle well. The baroness is a bigot in religion and a strong partizan in politics, and there- fore is she a dangerous woman. ‘The castie is strong, and might be made the rallying point for monarchists and aris- tocrats. I willsend a force of two hun- dred T'aborites to occupy it to-morrow morning, at the same time that the Mar- quis of Schomberg’s villa shall be gar- risoned ; and those proceedings will be the first acts of the civil war !’ Searcely had Zitzka arrived at this resolution, when a T'aborite attendant slowly opened the door of the apart- ment, and with an evident apprehen- sion of disturbing his chief, he said, ‘General Zitzka,’ said the lady, speak- ing with considerable hesitation, and evidently laboring under the weight of mingled embarrassment and apprehen- sion, ‘1 am come as a suppliant for | your forbearance and mercy, and yet I hardly know in what terms to proffer my prayer; for lam nota partisan of /your cause—lI have indeed been an ene- ‘my to it, and my name is perhaps un- favorably known to you ‘Who are you, lady?’ inquired Zitz- ka, in as gentle and re-assuring a tone as he could possibly assume. ‘lam the Baroness Hamelen,’ said the lady, giving utterance to the words with an effort, and then shrinking, as it | were, within herself through the sud- den paroxysm of terror that she expe- ‘rienced in the evident dread lest the | announcement of her name should pro- duce a startling effect upon the Cap- _tain-General. ‘Ah! I was just thinking of your la- dyshie at the moment when you ‘sent to demand an audience,’ said Zitzka, with his wonted imperturbility of man- es St ee a eee ' ner. . > - . . | : ‘General, a lady solicits an imimediate | ‘Indeed !—you were thinking of me?’ audience.’ exclaimed the baroness, his unchanging ‘Did you not refer her to the secre- | countenance and calm utterance afford- tary !’ inquired Zitzka; ‘seeing that I | ing her the most unspeakable relief, as am particularly engaged with my pre-|if she fancied that she had just stood sent occupation.’ ‘the chance of provoking the ire of a ‘I did,’ answered the Taborite ; «but | fiend, but had happily escaped the tre- she declared that her business was ur- | mendous risk. gent and regarded only the Captain- | ‘Yes, lady, I was thinking of you,’ General.’ repeated the General, observing that ‘Then admit her,’ said Zitzka. there was something strange in her The Taborite attendant withdrew, | manner, but attributing it solely to the and in a few minutes a lady of tall! embarrassment which so noted a Catho- stature and fine form, bnt closely veiled, | lic and monarchist was likely to experi- stood in the presence of the Captain-| ence in the presence of himself—the General. chief of the reformers. ‘Indeed, to For several seconds she stood sur- speak candidly,’ he added, after a mo- veying him through the thick gauze | ment’s pause, ‘I had just resolved to which covered her countenance, and| send early in the morning and demand then, apparently recollecting herself, | the keys of Hamelen Castle.’ she said, ‘ Pardon this intrusion, great; And during that same moment’s chief, and accord me your attention for | pause, the baroness had said exultingly a little space.’ _to herself, ‘My apprehensions were hus speaking, she threw back the ‘unfounded—he suspects not the terri- veil, and Zitzka beheld a countenance | ble truth, and Marietta, or Gloria, has magnificently handsome, but in every kept the secret inviolably !’ iineament of which was expressed a| ‘But you need fear nothing, lady,’ profound ter: or that she evidently strove | continued the grim chief, ‘if you yield to conceal. immediate compliance with my demand — The Captain-General begged her to! and admit a Taborite garrison into your take a seat, at the same time resuming | castle; for in desiring the keys of all his own chair with a manner inCicating | strongholds to be delivered up to me, his willingness to grant her his atten-| I mean only to test the disposition of tion, but in the hope that her explana- | those feudal owners and seignorial pro- tions would be prompt and to the point. prietors who may be thus summoned, — — comicbooks.com