Page:Court and Lady's Magazine (vol 3, 1839).djvu/134

 Cagliostro, whose mysteries (although many were explained and unravelled to him) nevertheless imparted to his mind a strong bias for the mystic and the supernatural. Besides the best works on general literature, his library contained a quantity of legends and old chronicles. Oftentimes would these two girls sit up the greater part of the night, inflaming their already excited imaginations with tales of apparitions and demons of every description. It happened that, during one of these fits of excitement, they pledged themselves that whichever should first quit this world would re-appear to acquaint the other of it. They had read of instances of such promises being made, and, in order to render the contract more binding, they vowed that were they even induced to retract the engagement verbally, the circumstance should remain unalterably determined. While their hands were still clasped within each other the house bell struck midnight. ‘Hark!’ cried Angelica as if inspired, ‘the hour of my death has tolled, at this time shall my vow be fulfilled!’ The terrified Caroline started up with a piercing shriek. ‘Hush!’ cried Angelica, ‘do not alarm yourself. I spoke in haste; I meant to have said the hour of my birth; sixteen years ago at midnight I came into the world, and the hour is now become doubly sacred to me through our mutual engagement which it may possibly be my lot to ratify.’ The friends had again wandered far into the ideal world, when the self-extinguishing lights warned them to seek their pillows. Some time after this mad freak Caroline was taken ill. For some days Angelica would not leave her friend, until the physicians declared it to be a malignant fever, when the parents of Angelica insisted upon her return home. She obeyed without a murmur so long as Caroline’s life was not in danger, but no sooner were fears entertained for her safety than Angelica hastened to the couch of her friend; that fatal promise now exercised a fearful power over her mind, and she determined to risk her own life rather than endure such anxiety any longer; she conjured the invalid to retract the engagement, which the latter the more readily did, observing her friend’s deep anxiety on her account, who moreover had not considered the subject in so serious a point of view. This scene, so dreaded by all present as likely to produce a most unfavourable effect on the invalid, was, on the contrary, followed by the most cheering result; the effort proved salutary, and Caroline, to the amazement of her doctors, became speedily convalescent; she looked upon Angelica as her preserver, and the two friends came to the determination never again to hazard a wish or an inquiry respecting the unseen world, and at last the passion for the mysterious, if not the belief in it, appeared to have vanished from their minds. In course of time the illness and the vow (which very probably caused it) were almost forgotten, and the two girls, now more firmly attached than ever, soon discovered other sources for a far more genial intercouseintercourse [sic]. It happened one day that Angelica accompanied her parents to a ball in the neighbouring town. Caroline made a plea of domestic engagements as an excuse for declining the party, but she secretly gave up the pleasures of the dance in order that she might prepare a little surprise in honour of her friend’s birth-day, which was to happen on the morrow, and she sat up until late in the night with her own maid, in order to complete her work, and had just finished, and begun to lay it aside, as the clock struck midnight. Immediately so strong a current of air was felt in the room, that the needlework and materials lying on the table were blown and scattered about in all directions by it, and Caroline, looking up, beheld the shadowy form of Angelica flitting before her eyes, and then, apparently sinking upon the ground, it disappeared. Alarmed by her cries, the woman hastened to her, and received the terrified and fainting girl in her arms. The servant had observed nothing but the strong draught and instant dispersion of the work, which she was busied in collecting, when called to her mistress’ assistance. True it was, that at that same moment Angelica, in the very act of waltzing, sank upon the floor a corpse!”

“That is truly awful,” said the hostess.