The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 277: what you’re looking at

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

212 THE STEAM PACKET. “Not at all,” said the viscountess. ‘‘The delusion was excellent, —and your own fears and the superstitious awe you experienced in such a place helped to completeit. Doubtless you fancied you saw my form reflected in some magical mirror, as Lord Surrey beheld that of his beauteous and absent Geraldine ?”’ | ‘“‘ But what motive could have induced Mademoiselle Lenormand to practise such a deception ?”’ inquired Pauline. ‘Several motives,” answered Josephine. ‘In the first place, she is fond of being deemed skilful in the black art, and will always step out of her way to produce that impression: the opportunity on that occasion—the coincidence of you and me being there at the same moment—was too good to be lost. She doubtless thought that next day the news would have been all over Paris. Then, again, she is fond of money, and she expected that such a grand display of power would elicit a noble donation. Lastly, I was well dressed on that day, looked pretty, and was more than ever in her good graces: so I sup- pose she felt proud in displaying me. Then as for her prophecy about your father and brother, which seems to have been fulfilled, she most probably guessed where they were—or, at all events, imagined that they were in captivity m some royal fortress. Nevertheless, she is a wonderful woman; and,”’ added Josephine, sinking her voice to a solemn and mysterious whisper, ‘‘ has confirmed the prophecy uttered by her old sybil attendant, that I shall be queen of France!” Scarcely were these words uttered when the gaoler entered the room and proceeded to remove the flock bed and bedding allotted to Madame de Beauharnais. “What is the meaning of this ?’? demanded the Duchess d’Aiguil- lon, who was one of the prisoners present. - “Tam only going to give the bedding to another captive,” answered the gaoler brutally. - How to another?” asked the duchess. ‘Is Madame de Beau- -harnais to have a better?” | ‘*Oh! ah—a better indeed !”’ said the gaoler with a laugh. “No, no—she won’t want another: she is going to another place to-day, and to the guillotine to-morrow.” . ‘The guillotine!” ejaculated Pauline, throwing herself into her friend’s arms. ‘Oh! no—impossible—impossible !” The other ladies gathered around the viscountess in deep and solemn silence; but the tears that trickled down their cheeks, and their hands clasped in prayer showed how sincerely they felt for their companion. ““No—I shall not die to-morrow!” suddenly exclaimed Josephine: Gomicbooks: co