“Then you are really in earnest, Amanda, and actually see, in vision, what is coming to pass?” he said. “I think I do, sir.” “Do you have the visions often?” “I did once, sir, but they now seldomer come.” “What produces them?” “I think it is any excitement, sir. They tell me that I lay on my bed moaning, and moving my arms about,--and when I wake, after these attacks, I remember seeing the visions.” “I hear that you predicted General Hunter’s attack on Lexington last June.” “Yes, sir, I told a lady what _I saw_, some months before it came to pass.” “What did you see? Will you repeat it for us?” “Oh, yes, sir. I remember all, and will tell you about it, as it seems to interest you. I saw a town, on the other side of the mountain, which they afterward told me was called Lexington--but I did not know its name then--and a great army of men in blue dresses came marching in, shouting and cheering. The next thing I saw was a large building on fire, and through the windows I saw books burning, with some curious-looking things, of which I do not know the names.” “The Military Institute, with the books and scientific apparatus,” said Mohun, calmly. “Was it, sir? I did not know.” “What did you see afterward, Amanda?” “Another house burning, sir; the Federal people gave the ladies ten minutes to leave it, and then set it on fire.” Mohun glanced at me. “That is strange,” he said; “do you know the name of the family?” “No, sir.” “It was Governor Letcher’s. Well, what next?” “Then they went in a great crowd, and broke open another building--a large house, sir--and took every thing. Among the things they took was a statue, which they did not break up, but carried away with them.” “Washington’s statue!” murmured Mohun; and, turning to me, he added:-- “This is curious, is it not, Surry?” I nodded. “_Very_ curious.” I confess I believed that the strange woman was trifling with us, and had simply made up this story after the event. Mohun saw my incredulity, and said, in a low tone:-- “You do not believe in this?” “No,” I returned, in the same tone. “And yet one thing is remarkable.” “What?” “That a lady of the highest character assured me, the other day, that all this was related to her before Hunter even entered the Valley.”[1] [Footnote 1: Fact.] And turning to Amanda, he said:-- “When did you see these things?” “I think it was in March, sir.” The words were uttered in the simplest manner possible. The strange woman smiled as sweetly as she spoke, and seemed as far from being guilty of a deliberate imposture as before. “And you _saw_ the fight at Reams’s, too?” “Yes, sir; I saw it two months before it took place. There was a man killed running through the yard of a house, and they told me, afterward, he was found dead there.” “Have you had any visions, since?” “Only one, sir.” “Lately?” “Yes, sir.” “What did you see?”