“ I did, cousin, and in the hope that it might intimate
to you, what I had not then the confidence to tell with
words that I love you. Hear me, dear Sarah," he
continued imploringly, " do not scorn me-for if you
knew how deeply I love you, you would not treat me
thus. You turn away- then I may not hope," he said
despairingly. As he thus spoke, the witch's prophecy
recurred to her mind, and the singularity of the circumstance, induced her, despite her responsive feelings, to
smile.
Frederick started up angry and excited at her heartlessness, as he deemed such extraordinary levity of conduct, and said bitterly, " Can I believe my senses, Miss Williams ! I little deemed my sweet and gentle cousin would ever treat me thus, even though she may not have the same feelings toward me, which I profess and bear toward her. But I am answered, and henceforth all the bright hopes of love and happiness which I have so long and fondly cherished, are thus carelessly crushed, even without their cold hearted object feeling how much I would have loved her, and how deep is the despair to which she has doomed my poor heart."
" Pardon me, Frederick," said she, recovering her seriousness at his words, "that I was unable to command myself. I did not mean to offend, I assure you. And now, therefore, from this very unfortunate circumstance, I am induced to confess to you, what I still should have hesitated in saying, had I been able to have maintained a proper decorum, as you told me of your affection-that I am not as you imagine indifferent to it. Yet, you must not urge me farther." " And why not, dearest will you not love me ? Will you not marry me ?" "It may not be, Frederick, your parents and sister would disapprove of it, and deem me no more than a fortune-hunter." "Do not speak thus, dear Sarah," he interrupted, 66 they as earnestly desire our union , as I do myself. Do not offer any such trivial objections ; but say that you will become, my wife. Oh ! then I, and all of us shall be truly happy." Sarah, would not, or could not reply, for she deemed it insincere and useless to offer farther opposition. Ere they parted, Frederick had imprinted the kiss of an affianced lover on her lips.
61
| confess that you gave me provocation enough to be very angry, Saade." "I acknowledge that I did ; but I could not help it, certainly. You will be surprised to know the cause of my laughing, and you would have laughed, too , had you known that we were to be married, and that I knew it at the time. There you were on your knees, half dead with doubt and anxiety-looking as woe-begone as a criminal at the bar, when if you had been aware what an old fortune-teller told me a few days before, you might have saved yourself all that trouble to obtain my consent.” "Yes, I might have saved myself all my misery and anxiety, if I had suspected that was what you were so pleased about," returned the husband, vexed at the idea of having been himself the cause of all the anguish he had experienced at the time, while he had the power of turning the tables upon her ; but," thought he, "better late than never, and I will have my revenge even now." He commenced in a grave tone, 66 Why, my dear, I did not believe you were superstitious ?" "Nor am I," she replied, " but the old woman told me my name when I first went into her room , without either of us mentioning a word, and then she told me other things that were true, and that I should be married within the year, and also described you so plainly, that I was forced to believe her." " And who do you think, my dear, told the old witch all this ?" "I don't know, surely, but I suppose it was her familiar, as I heard them talking together." " That familiar, Saade, was neither more no less than your present husband. What do you think of that, my dear ? I overheard you talking about your intended visit to old Margaret, one day, and I immediately called upon her myself to give her timely notice of the honor. I bribed her pretty well, and requested that she would favor you with an especial good fortune, and even dictated the supreme happiness, which it was my particular wish you might realize. Was it any wonder then, that she should be able to describe your future husband so accurately, eh ? Whose turn is it to laugh now ? Am I not the fortune-teller, of a verity ? say my sweet cozened ?" “ Oh you ! ! ! if I had but suspected ! -how I should 66 I have often thought on the ridiculous figure you have hated you." "Never mind, my dear, it's all past now ; and she cut while popping the question to me," said Mrs. Frederick Somers to her husband, one evening about might have conjured a worse fortune for you, had I six months after their marriage. 66 You remember my not prepared one for the occasion. You ought to be grateful, to be sure, for my consideration - don't you laughing, do you not, Frederick ?" "Yes, I remember it very well," replied the husband, think so ?" " and also how excited I was at it. You have not " On one condition, I will. That you do not breathe entirely forgotten that, either, I imagine, for you must a word of it to Isabel."
