The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRONZE STATUE. Oo interview, said the Princess, speaking 1n 4 by which his late Majesty entrusted her to slow and measured tone, as if the mere fact; my guardianship “7 3 . of yielding to any higher degree of excite-) ° Yes—the will!’ ejaculated the Knight: ment must be followed by an outburst of| then, after a moments reflection, he said, tears. ‘You have demanded whetner cer-|‘{ thank you for reminding me of this. tain negotiations were opened with my free | Lead the way—lI am ready to follow your will and pleasure—and—and,’ she added, Reverence.’ with the utmost difficulty stifling a sob,—| Father Cyprian made a sign to the pages, ‘I reply to you in the afirmative—I give | who instantly retired. He then opened a you the assurances which you require.—|low door which stood concealed im, the Farewell, Sir Knight? shade benéath the immense marble stair- And havino thus spoken, the Princess | case; and a flight of steps appeared, lead- Eliz:ibetha hurried froin the room by.a smal! | ing down into deep darkness, | door in the immediate vicinity of the dais. | ‘[ will thank your Excellency to close the “a ¢+Now must your Excellency confess that | door behind you,’ said the priest, as he led you are satisfied,’ exclaimed the priest, tri- | the way by commencing the descent of the umphantly ; but, on darting a penetrating stone stairs. ys | : For'a moment a suspicion of treachery glance upon de Colmars countenance, Fa- | OF t ther Cyprian beheld in the Knight's looks flashed across the mind of Sir Ernest de Colmar; and he hesitated on the threshold, nothing that was either reasuring or en- | | . But in another instant he felt ashamed of couraging in respect to his own projects. | | ‘Let us depart hence,’ said de Colmar, the fear to which he had thus yielded, eva- nescent though it were; and he began to | in a cold, haughty, and even imperious tone. ~ follow the priest, shutting the door-at the head of the steps But as he turned towards the door by ps. ! which they had entered the apartment, the Total darkness now prevailed—a dark- monk cast upon him a Jook so full of dead- | "°°*% relieved by the faintest g:immering. ly hate and fiend-like malignity that had Déscend fearlessly, Sir Knight,’ said Sir Ernest perceived it, brave as he was he the Carthusian: ‘the steps are regular, would have trembled . even, and in good condition—and there Is no danger of stumbling. !na few minutes The velvet curtain was drawn back—the 5 = ih [ shall be enabled to procure a light.’ door flew open to his touch—and he tra-| Sir Ernest descended with a firm step, versed the ante-chamber where the hand- , | | : and reached the bottom of the flight, Ex- maidens were occupied with their tambor- tending his arms with the natural impulse animating an individual in the dark, his hands encountered a rough wall on either . r nee side; and as_ the priests sandals echoed absolutely hideous the naturally very hand- | ¢.om 9 short distance a-head as he still led gome countenance of that designing Car-| +), way, the Knight knew that they were work. The priest followed close no thusian. He was evidently revolving some|j;,, long subterranean passage about four and dark, diabolical, sinister in the extreme, was now the expression which rendered infernal scheme in his mind; and he pulled | rot wide: the cowl farther over his features as if to| But scarcely had he advanced a dozen draw a veil upon his thoughts. paces from the bottom of the flight of steps, The two pages who had served as an es-| when something descended with a heavy Cort to the door of that ante-chamber, were | jron clang behind him ; and before the tre- waiting in the passage, along which they | mendous echo thus raised had died away, now preceded the Knight towards the land-|a second object fell with a similar din a ing. This was traversed—the magnificent | short distance in front,—the loud metallic marble staircase was descended—and the| sounds reverberating rapidly along the hall below was reached. vaulted passage. Hitherto a profound silence had been| ‘Treachery! ejaculated the Knight, maintained from the moment the Knight| springing forward: buthis way was barred and the priest quitted the apartment of the| by a massive iron grating which stretched Princess. But now the Carthusian, eatch-| across the subterranean from wall to wall, ing Sir Ernest de Colmar by the sleeve of| and from floor to roof. , his doublet, said ina low tone ‘Your Fx-| Animated with a horrible suspicion, he cellency has seen the Princess—and her| turned and endeavored to retrace his steps lips have given you an assurance which in| towards the flight of stone stairs: but in plain terms implies that she will accept the| that direction also was he suddenly stop- suit of your illustrious master, Albert of| ped short—and by a similar grating, Austria. Will it not, therefore, please you Then the horrible suspicion was confirm- to behold the treasures constituting the for-| ed in a moment; and he knew that he was tune of her Royal Eiighness, and the will!a prisoner in a cage formed by the two comicbooks.com