"What did Trott, the crazy girl who spaes fortunes, give you, Edith?" and coruscations began again to mix with the softer light.
"A card," replied the girl, as she undid her embrace, and, casting her head to a side, viewed him timidly.
"She has been frightened," thought I, "by some consequences resulting from the same question put at some former time."
"And what was the name of the card?" he continued.
But the girl was now on her guard. She hesitated, and struggled to get away.
"Tell this gentleman, then."
"The ten of diamonds," cried she; and no sooner were the words out than she fled, like a beam of light chased by the shadow of a tombstone.
"You see how it is," continued Graeme, getting into his former expression: "through this channel, this innocent medium, this creature the fruit of my loins, the idol of my heart, is the lightning of reproof hurled. A wandering idiot is prompted by the very inspiration of her imbecility to put into the hands of my child the emblem of my wickedness, that she in her love might place it before my eyes, there to develop the sin-print in the dark camera of my mind. No wonder she is alarmed at the mention of the words, for she read the horror produced in me when she held up what she called the pretty picture in my face. But, thank God! thank God!"——
And he fell for a moment into meditation.
"For what?" said I, as my wonder increased.