The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 266: what you’re looking at

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

THE STEAM PACKET. 20T ing figure was drawn up to its full height; and her large dark eyes beamed with unnatural lustre. In her right hand she waved a long black wand, and her left held a small volume open, to which she from time to time referred. | T'wo chairs were placed by the old hag, who served as attendant, near the table, and she then withdrew. Henri and Pauline seated themselves, upon a sign from the sorceress; and ten minutes then passed without a word being spoken, Mademoiselle Lenormand con- tinuing to wave her hand and refer to her book, upon the raised dais. At length she looked earnestly towards the visitors, and exclaimed— ** Henri Alvimar, what would’st thou with me? Pauline, speak—fear not !” The two visitors were rendered speechless by hearing themselves thus addressed by a person whom they had never seen before; and they made no reply. | “Wherefore are ye silent?”’ continued the sorceress. ‘‘ Are ye surprised that I should name ye by your names? What faith would ye accord to my predictions, were I unable to penetrate into all your family secrets—to tell ye all that has already happened to you—and thus the more appropriately connect the chain of the past with that of the future? And first let me speak of the pledges of friendship, given to ratify vows never redeemed—a chain to the neck of Made- moiselle Michel, a bracelet to the arm of Mademoiselle Tascher—a ring on the finger of the lost Albert! ”’ ““True—O God! it is all true!’ murmured Pauline. ‘ But Albert ——oh! what of Albert? and my father—my dear father ?”’ ‘“‘ They are alive!’’ solemnly answered the sorceress. ‘¢ Alive! then heaven be thanked!”’ ejaculated Pauline. ‘But tell me more—say, shall I see them again ?—-will they ever be restored to me ?—are they in health, in happiness ?—and why, oh! why this long separation—this fearful and mysterious disappearance ?” “The hand of Providence will, by his wise means, restore you to each other,” said Mademoiselle Lenormand. ‘‘ Hark! hear you not that cry for vengeance ? listen to those distant murmurs which are approaching nearer and more near every instant! ‘They grow louder, more distinct—they change into intelligible sounds—they grow into loud voices—and now, now those dread shouts proclaim vengeance, and death, and liberty! Hark again! hear ye not the din of the artillery, and the sharp crack of the musket ! falls not the roll of yon drum on your ear? is your soul unmoved by the braying of those war-trumpets? Hark once more! the battering-ram is striking the wall: there—now again—there—there, with each stroke the huge (E@MCeloeoroy <S (E(0)