The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 384: what you’re looking at

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

382 THE BRONZP STATUE, that it penetrated the foliage of the fo- | Zitzka, ‘for I have marked thee in the rest, and streamed through the open|fight.. But proceed.’ entrance-way. But being somewhat P Lhanking you, general, for the kind fatigued with the part I had taken in| notice you have deigned to take of me,’ a skirmish in the morning, I came andj|continued the sentinel, ‘1 will hasten sate down on the steps of this little al- to make an end of my tale. Iwas say- tar. Now, be so kind as to observe, | ing that 1 am naturally no coward; but general, that as the moonlight poured in|I must confess that this adventure be- through the small open door way, it ir-|wildered me strangely. Il rubbed my radiated the middle of the chapel and | eyes to convince myself that I was the opposite wall. but left the extremity }awake ; and then | examined the pave- where the altar stands, and likewisethe|ment by the clear moonlight. But other end, in total darkness, Conse-|there was not. a sign hor a trace to quently, as I sate on the altar steps [| mark the spot. where the white-headed was enveloped in obscurity. Well, most ) old man had appeared and disappeared, honored chief,’ continued the soldier, |—and I, theretore, came to the conclu- ‘I was seated on the steps in the man-|sion that L had either seen a ghost or ner described, wondering how long the | was the object of my own fancy’s de- besieged could possibly hold out, and/lusion. Under this impression I kept whether we should reduce theta by fa- | the matter secret, for | did not choose mine or carry the castle by storm ’ | to become the laughing-stock of my com- ‘Yes, yes, you were thinking of all|panions. Next morning I returned this,’ interrupted Zitzka, impatiently. | hither and examined the pavement by ‘Well, what happened ?’ the broad day-light; but nothing could ‘I had fallen, may it please you, ge- | 1 discover in connection with the inei- neral, into a very profound reverie,’ |dent which Il have related. I, there- continued the T'aborite, ‘ whena strange | fore. became confirmed in my belief noise suddenly started me, and raising | that the occurrence was either a super- my eyes, I saw a human form rising as | natural or else an ideal one.’ oS ‘And is that all you have to tell us?’ it were from the bowels of the earth , into the midst of the silver flood glow-|demanded Zitzka, evidently disappoint- ed at not receiving some clearer infor- ing in at the entrance. ‘l‘he appear- ance of the individual was that of aj mation relative to the mysterious trap- door. pale, thin, white-haired old man, with : overhanging brows, sharp and piercing} ‘I did but pause to take breath, gene- ral,’ resumed the ‘Taborite sentinel, eyes, which threw a hundred restless whose manner of telling his tale was glances about him all in an instant ‘Ah! ’twas old Hubert, the castle | most vexatiously prolix. ‘For I was steward!’ exclaimed Angela. ‘The/| going on to observe that when I found description is unmistakeable.’ just now that I was to occupy this post again for three hours to-night, you may ‘And yet I can assure you, lady,’ continued the T'aborite soldier, ‘that 1|readily believe I was not over well pleased; but pride or shame, I do not only beheld the individual for a few mo- ments; but then the circumstance was | exactly know which, made me hold my tongue. However, the instant I was so fraught with poignant terror at the instant, that it is no wonder if the face | leftalone by the guard, I could not help examining the pavement-door in the thus abruptly appearing before me _ be- . very spot where it struck me that I had came as vividly impressed upon my mind as if [ had contemplated it calmly | seen the old manrise up; and as acci- dent or luck would have it, my hand and deliberately for an hour.’ ‘It disappeared, then, almost instan- | pressed upon some spring, and the stone started up from its setting taneously ?’ said Zitzka, making the re- ‘Which stone? where isthe spring?’ mark in an interrogative sense. Yes, it disappeared,’ responded the | demanded Zitzka, spéaking with fever- soldier, ‘ because when the first feeling | ish impatience, of utter consternation was past, I gave ‘Here,—press this stone forcibly vent to my terror in aloud cry. Then/down in that particular corner,’ said the white-haired old man sank do-wn|the Taborite, suiting the action to the word; ‘and here is the resuit,’ he ad- again into the earth, and his disappear- ance was followed by the sudden din of | ded, raising the exquisitely-fitting and weil-contrived trap-door. a heavy weight falling. Now, I am no ‘My good friend,’ exclaimed Zitzka, coward exchanging a look of joyuus satisfaction ——_—_— er eee rrr ttt ll ‘You speak truly, friend,’ observed comicbooks.com