The Bronze Statue, or, The Virgin's Kiss — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

i a a > * - >" ogee. wie ~~ + Fe —* = * * < e oa : — ~ THE BRONZE STATUE. 85 . - «& you—to become enamored of you was | fore look with aversion upon me now, to burn to possess you. Day after day | because the second attempt has been did I roam in the vicinity of that cot-| more successful and you are at last a tage, hoping to receive a smile as a re-| prisoner within these walls and com- compense for the respectful homage | pletely at my mercy ?’ which | thus offered you. But no ‘At your mercy, my lord?’ ejaculat- ‘ My lord, the long tale on which you | ed the young maiden, the dread convic- have entered,’ interrupted Angela, ‘may | tion that he indeed spoke the truth sud- be summed up in afew words. Youj|denly disarming her of the courage declared your love for me, and, while | which her own virgin dignity had en- acknowle -dging the honor which you | abled her to maintain. * Yes, oh! yes, conferred upon me by your preference, {am indeed at your mercy,* she cried, I frankly and firmly declared that your | in a tone of entreaty, ‘but you will not rank and my lowliness constituted an | continue thus to manifest yourself as a inseparable barrier between us.’ | cruel, heartless tyrant towards me? At ~ <4 ~ a ". A .% - west roy > aw + > pe . ~ ee wo ‘And more, Angela, for you drove|} You tell me that you love me? Them me to desperation,’ cried Rodolph, im- | wherefore persecute me—wherefore do petuously ; ‘you assured me that you) aught to fill my soul with anguish 7— loved me not, and that you felt your hor three days past have I been a pri- heart could never be mine ’ |soner here ; for three days have [ been ‘Yes, [ spoke thus candidly and in- ‘tortured with the cruellest reflections, genuously,’ said the maiden, ‘ because | not only concerning my own destiny, your lordship pressed and urged me to; but likewise relative to the alarms declare my sentiments with frankness. | which my adopted parents must expe- But, instead of acting a chivalrous and/| rience at my unexplained absence !— generous part, you pursued me with at-| Yes, my lord, [ am indeed at your tentions which | could not accept; and| mercy! Every thing proves to me that when I implored you not to drive me to | such is the case,’ she continued, glanc- the necessity of revealing to my adopt- | ing wildly round the room, ‘ and naught ed parents the importunity with which | has yet occurred to show that you pos- you pursued me—when | appealed to| sess a generous heart. Else wherefore your better nature to abstain froma line | consign me to a chamber so long dis- of conduct which amounted to a perse-| used, and to which rumor attributes cution, you menaced me, my lord ’ |terrible things? Ah! my lord, was it ‘"Tis true, Angela—most true,’ inter- | to terrify me into a speedy submission rupted Rodolph, ‘for 1 loved you then|to your will?’ she demanded, suddenly —love you now, to desperation! 1 of- | recov ering a portion of her lost cour- fered you my hand, as you already pos-| age, and now fixing upon the young sessed my heart; yes, I, the son and} nobleman a look which convinced him heir of one of Bohemff*s proudest | that she had indeed divined his aim in peers—I, Lord Rodolph of Altendorf, | lodging her in the right wing of the humbled myself at the feet of the low- castle.‘ hen, hear me, Lord Ro- born peasant girl! And you scorned | dolph—hear me!’ she cried, her brow me , | flushing with indignation ; her fine Gre- ‘No, my lord, not scorned you,’ said | | cian countenance becoming expressive Angela, mildly, ‘I refused the taal as that of an angry goddess; and her which you proposed to confer upon | bosom swelling so proudly that it seem- me.’ ‘ed as if it were about to burst the bod- ‘And yet you loved not another,’ ex-| dice which confined it, ‘hear me,’ she claimed Rodolph, in an impassioned | repeated, ‘while I call heaven to wit- -<e Raine +o? —T —_ "ee S tw “* a : < 9 8 7 * > = ls Bie * oi . * nd > —— - Oe or a | > ™ Nei Cini t * 7 y tiny i” lay wa 7 ‘a as Se ee sad ‘fe ‘“ c * e*- kote? rz a Sl ~ . >» ~ ws id as tone. ness that neither by entreaty nor by * Nevertheless, my lord, | felt that | menacc—neither by prayer or intimi- my heart never could be yours,’ rejoin- | dation ‘ ed Angela. ‘Asa friend, I could have ‘Hold!’ exclaimed Lord Rodolph, in ? esteemed you a sudden and terrible paroxysm of rage, ‘As a lover you abhorred me!’ cried | ‘ ‘hold, I say, haughty boauty, and per- the young nobleman, becoming greatly jure not yourself! For as there isa excited. ‘‘l'hen wherefore blame me | God above us, [ swear that thou shalt if I sought to make you mine by force? | be mine. And happy should’st thou be wherefore upbraid me if I endeavored to reflect that instead of forcing thy to bear you away a fortnight since, | stubborn virtue to surrender and reduc- when the meddling Austrian fool res-/ing thee to the condition of a mistress, cued you from my power? or where- | I propose to elevate thee to the rank of — ee Qe comicbooks.com