WORLD OF FASHION . her future destiny ; adding " I never tells any body's fortin' when there's any body else in the room besides him who tells me."
This speech served to increase their apprehensions, and the same contest as before arose between them, when the woman rather impatiently interrupted it.
"Never you be afeard, young ladies, he will not let you see him, and he never hurts any body. You'll only hear us talking ; so cum along one of ye !"
Go, Isabel," whispered Sarah, "you go first and then I will go."
"No, my dear cousin," returned the other, " I think you ought to go first, for you wish to hear your fortune more than I do mine." " But then I expected she would tell us both together," said Sarah, when the old woman manifested her increasing impatience by exclaiming, "don't be afeard, Miss, nobody 'll hurt ye !" "Go, coz !" said Isabel again ; "you coaxed me to come up here, and now I think you ought, certainly, to have your's told first ; besides I don't care for my part whether I have mine told at all, without you have a good one." Thus constrained, Sarah rose to go, when the sybil holding out her shrivelled hand, intimated that her fee was fifty cents, to be paid in advance, and then led the way into the other apartment. The room into which they entered had been purposely darkened by some articles of wearing apparel hung over the only window in it, and on the table in the centre was placed a small iron kettle, out of which arose a pale blue smoke, filling the room with a strong sulphurous scent, and occasionally emitting a broad lurid flame, glaring fitfully upon the ceiling, and rendering the prevailing darkness doubly hideous. After going through a kind of incantation, the sybil approached Sarah, and requested that she would remove her veil. 66 Now," she continued, as it was reluctantly thrown aside, " would ye like to know what's to cum, or what's bin, Miss ?" "The future," whispered Sarah, too frightened to speak aloud. " Yes, that's what all young ladies want to know ; and I needn't av axed the question. You want to find out when you'll git married, and who's agoin' to be your husband, I spose. Well, Miss Sarah Williams, I'll tell ye all about it in a few minutes." Sarah could not speak to answer her question, for she was frightened and confounded that the old woman should know her name without even making an enquiry ; but tremblingly watched her every motion, as she went to the iron dish, and then followed a confused muttering as of two voices, for the space of nearly five minutes. At length the old woman returning, commenced her prophecy by saying " you'll git married, Miss, before
|
59
this year's out, and at your uncle's house, mind. I musn't tell your husband's name, but he is a tall young gentleman, with black hair, and dark eyes, high forrard, and very rich. He loves you dearly, and you love him more than you tell on ; and you will live very happy together, cos he will make a very loving husband. You will have three children-two girls and one boy, and your husband will die first, and you”————— "Stop ! -stop ! -good woman !" cried Sarah, half frightened out of her wits at the old woman's words, and the solemn and unearthly tone in which she delivered them, " I have heard enough ; I do not wish to hear any thing farther. I do not desire to learn when I am to die, because it will make me unhappy. I will go now, if you please." 66 Darter," she returned slowly and sternly, " you've begun to hear your fortin' and you must hear it all ! you shouldn't have come if you were afeard. Your husband will die first, and as I said before, and you will also die a little while arter, cos you'll take his death so much at heart-and all before you're forty years old. There, that's all, " saying this she took her hand and led her back, nearly fainting, into the room from whence they came. Isabel, who sat anxiously awaiting their re-appearance, seeing her cousin's pale features and agitated manner, refused to have her own fortune told, in spite of old Margaret's assurances that there was " nothing to be afeard of," and Sarah was nothing loath to leave the house as quickly as possible. On their way home Isabel was all curiosity to know what the " old witch" told her cousin, and Sarah, with some reluctance, related in strict confidence, all that had been said. 66'Why, it's Frederick-my brother !" she exclaimed with astonishment at the co-incidence, and then burst into a loud laugh at her accuracy of description, and at the idea that he should be the one foretold by old Margaret. Though Isabel could not but believe that the old hag possessed the power of foretelling occurrences, yet it appeared singular she should have described one so as to be recognized. Had it been an indistinct description of some dark and mysterious stranger, it would have been more in accordance with her ideas of
fortune-telling. With Sarah, however, the reality of all she had listened to was forcibly impressed upon her mind ; every word sunk into her heart, carrying conviction along with it. She felt it impossible to doubt even the slightest portion of the information received, and she was fairly overcome with astonishment. " How," thought she, "could a total stranger have learned my name thus readily, except by supernatural means ! How could she have known that a gentleman, answering the description of my cousin, was in love with me ? And
