The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

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The himself to the eld woman, he said,‘ We/|old woman walked with singular agility are prepared to avail ourselves, good dame, considering her years 5; and in a short time of the invitation which you have given us| they reached a cemetry the marble monu- to this unknown paradise of vhose portals;ments of which gleamed white and you seem to possess the key: but I pray | ghastly in the brilliant lustre of the spot- you to grant us a few minutes’ license that | Jess moon, Threading this burial-yround, we may return to the hos:el at which we|the dame led the way towards a small are sla} ing in order to make such change chapel, in the rear of which a man was in our apparel as will benefit us for the | holding three horses, courtly company to whom yousokindly! ‘Two of the anima!s were saccled in the purpose to introduce us,’ /usual style: the third had a pilion for the ‘It is not necessary, fair youth,’ said the | accommodation of the femaie. But be- old woman. ‘At the noble mansion whi-| fore she either mounted her own steed or ther | am about to lead you, there is a {invited the youths to bestride the others, toilette-chamber which will furnish you with | the man who had held them, and who was raiment well becoming your graceful forms ‘dressed in the menial garb of a hostler, and handsome countenances. Come, then | fetched from the interior of the chapel, two —delay not—ior we have a journey to per- | ecclesiastical gowns; and presenting one | : . if a form ere we reach the entrance of that to Lionel and the other to Konrad, he bade | —E ee — terrestrial paradise of which I am but the | them envelop themselves therein. humble porteress.’ Though for an instant startled by this ‘A journey! exclaimed both of the | request, neither of the youths chose to be youths, with a simultaneous expression of | the first to offer an objection: a spirit of astonishment. ‘We thought that this | pride would not permit one to evince any scene of pleasure and gaiety was close at | apprehension in the presence of the other— hand—within the city walls |and thus they both complied with the sin- ‘'W hat does an hour’s travelling on horse-| gular demand. But something more was ; eo aa back alarm you, Sir Page?’ cried the old | now to be exacted from them: for scarcely woman inatone of sovereign contempt. 1 in had they assumed the gowns which hung so “Qh! if this be the case, I beseech you to | loosely and disfiguringly about their slim remain where you are, you will indeed do | end graceful forms, when the old woman, | best to decline the invitation which your | addressing them in a wheedling, coaxing prepossessing exterior and amiable looks | tone, said, ‘The path to that paradise prompted me to give you yick whither lam about to conduct you, must And suddenly checking herself as if it} be shrouded in mystery and veiled in se- were useless to bestow further observa- crecy. You have pledged yourselves to tions upon the matter, the indignant dame|be dociled and obedient to any condi- wos hurrying off when Lionel caught her | tions whichI may impose; it is now, then, by the sleeve of her dress, exclaiming, ‘Pardon us, I beseech thee—and disap- point us not, after having so highly raised our curiosity and our hopes,’ Aan me, then,’ said the woman, suf fering herself to be appeased: * but | warn you, fair youths, that unless you implicitly | tures. obey all the conditions | sha!l impose upon ‘That you permit me to close the hoods you, it will be impossibie for me to procure | of these gowns over your countenance,’ y : : | 2 : . ; you the honor, the gratification, and the | was the response ; ‘and that you seek not delight which may become yours on such | to remove them until we arrive at our jour- easy terms. ney’s end.’ | Lead the way, good dame,’ cried} ‘Be it so! exclaimed Lionel. hastily. rag “ you shall find us as docile | ‘This incident already savours of the ro- much-loved master.’ Ore seriouslv.’ said K ar hg Sous. i eee | nore seriousiy, said Konrad, in the lowest He old woman smued approvingly—and | possible whisper SC eC} ty ay fron he remonart. s} > halal lt ian eoncending irom the ram part, she passec | duionel made no reply—but hastened to out oO: the postern-gate, followed by the'| throw the cowl over his head; and the old WO Padres, woman buttoned it carefully in front. She rT 5 monaor 7. re. thy »44 <4 jc ha Ta , | that I demand the fulfilment of your so- lemn promise,’ * What do you require of us, good dame ? asked Konrad, almost regretting that he had embraced an adventure which was al- ready characterised by such singular fea- ww 4s comicbooks.com . . . - ~y d - ee —?