The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 330: what you’re looking at

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

328 THE BRONZE STATUE. bited by the Baron of Altendorf in mak- | Lightning appeared to run in the veins ing his castle the head quarters of the | and to flash forth from the eyes, and rising against the T'aborites; and from | men and women alike abandoned them- that topic he slipped back to his obser- | selves to the full flow of those spirits so vations on the queen’s lonely position, | unnaturally excited. following up his remarks with an opi-| ‘To the Marquis of Schomberg it be- nion that her own happiness and the | came apparent, painfully apparent, that public welfare would be best ensured by | the aristocracy of Bohemia would cheer- her immediate union with the scion of | fully hail the union of the queen with some noble family. Such an alliance,|the young Lord Rodolph; and that, the speaker declared in conclusion, | should the royalist cause succeed in would give satisfaction to the Bohemian | the long run against the Taborite domi- aristocracy, inasmuch as a king would | nion, the name of Altendorf would be thus be raised up from their body; the paramount in the country. people would approve of the measure,/ It was past midnight when the guests as a guarantee against those court in-|rose from the table and dispersed to trigues, innovations, and changes, which | seek their respective chambers. The invariably followed in the train of a/lamps were then extinguished in the foreign prince-consort; and the eleva- | banquetting-hall, the servants, wearied tion of a Bohemian to the throne-matri- | with the bustle of the day, retired to monial would annihilate all pretexts for | rest, the sentinels were relieved. along the intervention of neighboring states. | the walls, and comparative silence pre- This speech was welcomed with | vailed throughout the immense feudal thunders of applause on the part of the | fortalice. nobles present; while the ladies testi- fied their satisfaction by the waving of gloves and handkerchiefs. | Then—quickly as the idea itself cir- culated throughout the hall—did the name of Lord Rodolph begin to fly from THE PRIEST AND THE BARON. tongue to tongue, until all those voices combined and swelled into a grand and| Farsuer Cyprian was present at the enthusiastic chorus, proclaiming the | early stage of the grand festival: but Baron of Altendorf’s son as the fitting | he had retired some hours before the and favorite candidate for the hand of proposition was made respecting an al- Queen Flizabeth ! iance between Lord Rodolph and Queen But though the Marquis of Schomberg | Elizabetha. joined in the general cry, and forcedhis| Early on the following morning he lips to wreathe themselves into smiles, | issued forth from his own chamber; yet this new phase in the proceedings | and, encountering Hubert in one of the of the night was adding gall to the/| corridors, he bade him repair to the wormwood which already filled his soul | Baron of Altendorf's apartment and as- with bitterness, and pouring molten lead | certain whether his lordship could grant upon flesh already seared with red-hot | him an immediate interview. The old iron. steward proceeded to execute this com- Lord Rodolph rose to express his gra- | mission; and, in a few minutes, he re- titude for the honor and the kindness | turned to conduct the pylest to the ba- shown him by his father’s guests. His | ron’s apartment. cheeks were flushed and his eyes glow-| ‘Good morrow, holy father,’ said the ed with joy, and pride, and triumph; |nobleman, who had not quitted his and he spoke well, long, and fervidly.— | couch. ‘ You have risen betimes, me- When he ceased, the spacious hall rang | seems; but then you remained not so again and again with enthusiastic shouts, | ong at the board as the rest of us. And and the goblets were filled and emptied | now, what business of importance has in honor of his name. It was a sort of | brought thee thus early tomy chamber? delirium that prevailed in that banquet- | No evil tidings, I hope ?? ting-room—a fever of the blood andan!| ‘No, my lord,’ replied the priest.— exaltation of the brain, engendered by |‘ But 1 was anxious to say a few words strong political feeling, fostered by the to your lordship in private,’ he continu- consciousness that grand, serious, and ed, looking in a significant manner to- irrecoverable steps had been that day | wards the old steward, who was linger- taken, and enhanced by the bacchanalian | ing in the chamber. beverage which crowned the cups.—! ‘If it be aught that Hubert may not CHAPTER LXXXTI. A - comicbooks.com