Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851 — John Shaqi
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851Various
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
"At St. Cloud say you?" said the somnambule, in a low, dreamy voice.
"Wait one moment Ah! now I see him. He is in a large garden. There are
workmen round him who ask him questions respecting the labor next to be
taken in hand. Now they leave him, each proceeding to his appointed
task. M. Folitton goes into his house. He takes a billet from his breast
and reads it. I can see the signature: it is _Marie Colonne_."
Julienne started. The old man looked toward her wistfully, and then, as
if interpreting her thoughts, asked the somnambule, "Can you read the
contents of the billet?"
"It is not very distinct," was the reply; "apparently written in haste.
The words are--_'Your fears, Andrè, are needless. What matters it that
Fate would seem to demand our eternal separation? Can we not be superior
to Fate? Have we not proved it? Do not fail to-night; but this I need
not tell you, for since you first discovered the grand mistake of your
life, you have not wavered.'_ Monsieur Folitton reads it again and
again, and replaces it in his breast. He opens his desk and examines
something. I see it now: it is the miniature of a lady. She is young:
her hair is very long, her eyes dark and bright."
"It is enough," said Julienne, rising quickly. "Be it true or false, I
will hear no more." She moved hurriedly toward the door, as if to escape
as quickly as possible from a cruel torment. The old man followed her.
"I forgot," exclaimed the agitated girl, as she paused and drew from
her little glove the stipulated fee.
That very evening Madame Margot repeated her visit, and requested to see
Julienne alone. She found her alone, but, as if she had something too
weighty to be said in the salle-à-manger, she insisted that they should
shut themselves up in Julienne's bedroom, while she relieved her loaded
mind.
"Ah, poor Julienne!" said she, "I never come to see her of an evening
but I find her alone! Poor child! so innocent and unsuspecting too!
Well, we all have our trials; but to see one whom I love as if she were
my own child so treated, is enough to drive me mad!"
"What do you mean?" asked Julienne, nervously, for her adventure with
the clairvoyante had given her a shock.
"My dear, do you mean still to say that you don't know where your
husband spends his evenings?"
"It is true; I do not know," said Julienne, blushing deeply; then
adding, in a tone which, though meant to be firm and resolute, was
painfully faint and timid--"nor do I wish to--"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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