The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 294: what you’re looking at

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

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Come,{ the unholy service of that secret tribu- then—give thine attention—and I will| nal of which he acknowledged himself unburthen my soul to thee to be the chief!” ‘The baroness sat down by the side ‘** God protect us: '” exclaimed Emi- of the couch, took her husband’s hand | lia, turning deadly pale and conyulsiye- in her own, and bent her eyes upon | ly pressing her husband’s hand. ‘Thig | him with mingled tenderness and pain-| 1s a terrible revelation, my Ildegardo,’ ful suspense ; for that prelude to the|she added; for her imagination instant- promised revelation had both amazed | ly associated the adventures of the past and startled her. night, whatever they might have been, ‘«¢Three years have elapsed, my well with the circumstances her lord was beloved Emilia,’ he resumed, “since | now detailing. Baron Manfredo summoned his vassals} ‘ ‘* Yes, it is a dreadful thing to con- and made a hostile incursion upon my/|template, my well-beloved,” continued estates. Of this circumstance you are|the baron; ‘ but it would be far worse doubtless aware ; and you must likewise | Were the dr eam which [ had last night have heard that my own retainers, com-|@n actual reality. For then should J manded by acertain Korali, were van-|indeed be aware that the mystery of quished by the invaders. I then col-|the Bronze Statue is something more lected all the available force which I} awful—more appalling—more hideous, could muster on so short a notice, and| than the imagination could_ possibly marched against the victorious Manfre- | conceive, unless enlightened on the tre do. But, alas! his troops were aot only | mendous subject ; and I should like- flushed with conquest—they were like-| wise fee] the horrible certainty that a wise more numerous and better ap-| tribunal possessing so frightful an en- pointed than mine; and the result was| gine of punishment, must also have the the total route of my band of vassals.— | power of enforcing its arbitrary decrees Stung to madness by the disgrace of de-| and exacting the fulfilment of all con- feat, and driven to despair by the pros-| ditions and agreements made with its pect of seeing my castle pillaged by| members. But as, thank heaven! the Manfredo’ . hordes, I galloped away as if} horrors of the past night were merely possessed by «demon ; and being thrown a dream—the shocking offspring of a from my horse, | remained upon the! fevered fancy——” spot giving vent to my anguish in the| ‘**Oh! tell me that dream, Ildegar- bitterest lamentations—when the Baron | do!’’ exclaimed Emilia, exercising all of Altendorf suddenly emerged from the} her physical energies to subdue the adjacent wood. <A hurried but pro-|shuddering that crept with a cold and foundly interesting colloquy took place | snake-like sensation upon her, and ex- between us ; and he proffered his aid on} erting all her moral powers to assume a a condition which he named, and which | degree of composure which she was I accepted, in the fevered bewilderment | so far from experiencing in reality; for of the moment—but which never, never | the fact of her husband’s prolonged ab- oo shall be fulfilled, so long as I possess a| sence and the dreadful stare in which sword to wield and an arm to raise it.”? | he had returned home, filled her mind ++ And that condition, my beloved| with the harrowing conviction that “‘husband—tell me what it was!’’ ex-| whatever he had gone through during claimed Emilia, shuddering with aj that interval was not a dream. vague but horrible presentiment—for| *" Yes—lI will relate to you as much the rumors respecting the connexion of | of thatterrific vision as I have the courage the Lord of Altendorf with some ter-| to reveal.” said the baron. ‘+ You re- rible fraternity or secret organization,| member, dearest Emilia, that you yes- had not failed to reach her ears terday whispered in my ear the intelli- ‘+ Tt was a condition, Emilia,” an-| gence that in a few months you will swered the baron of Ildegardo, in a} become a mother; and although my tone of the deepest solemnity, ‘*the| first feeling was one of indescribable bare thought of which animates me] joy, my seeond was one of a bitterness with the same effect as if I had sold|as profound and ineffable. For I re- my own soul to Satan! But I will not! membered the horrible compact with torture thee with suspense, Emilia.| the Baron of Altendorf; and I thought Know, then that the terms imposed| within myself that if, when our first- upon me by the Baron of Altendorf,|born grew up, that dreadful chieftain were that I should dedicate my first-| should possess the powor to compel the born child, whether male or femule, to | fulfilment of the bargain, your soul and o comicbooks.com