Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-01
THE LOOKING GLASS,

Ii LOOKING GLASS.
The evening of the 18th Pluviose, year
II Of the republic (Feb. 1, l794), Mile.
Nanine de Leigrealles, who at this period
Of the terror was called simply Cheyenne
Leigrealles, - retired early to her sleeping
chamber. In these troubled times she
lived alone with an old nurse In u country
house inherited from her mother and stu
ated at Eillons, near the village of Ecou.
yiers, a short league from the Belgian
frontier.
After passing a large part Of her child
hood and youth IN this retired region she
had again taken refuge there IN the occa-
sion Of the sequestration of the patrimoni
al hotel where she was residing in Vcrdun
with her father, the Marquis de Leigre-
allies, whose property was conf1scated as
that Of an "emigre'' when the marquis
went to join the army of Condo. Eillons
and Ecouviers not being yet agitated by
the revolutionary fever, Mile. dc Leigre-
allies, loved and respected by all the peas
ants In the neighborhood, found herself
there in almost absolute safety.
This evening all through the supper her
old nurse, Bastienne, had told her excit-
ing stories in relation to visions and reve-
lations on Candlemas night. She had even
assured her young mistress that by plac-
ing a mirror under the bolster and pro-
nouncing certain words one could see that
night "during ones sleep" the man whom
one was to love and afterward to marry.
Nanine, who was slightly superstitious,
longed to test the truth Of this legend. It
al for this reason that she went to her
own room Immediately after supper.
Once alone and half undressed she took
a looking glass in her hand and, before
hiding 1t under the pillow, half amused
and half credulous, she decided to repeat
the sacramental words which Bastienne
had taught her:
Mirror, make me see while sleeping
Him who is to be my lover.
Then she slipped the mirror under the
bolster, went to bed and soon fell asleep.
Well, almost Immediately the charm
took effect. In the midst of her first sleep
she saw in her dream a long perspective
Of mirrors, in which there moved as in q
fog a multitude Of eccentric heads. Grad
ually the fog %lightened. the figures defined
themselves, then blended into a single ap-
partition, very distant, in the recesses of q
church chancel. The apparition slowly
approached, and then Nanine distinguish
ed an old man with hoary head and wrin-
killed. cheeks, III French costume, who ad-
vanced toward her and held out his hand
to her. The Idea that she was destined to
marry this old nobleman Of at least so SO
shocked her that she awakened suddenly.
She had great difficulty in going to sleep
again and rose the next morning still
agitated by her dream.
As she completed her toilet Bastienne
entered her Don end said in handing a
letter to her:
"Mademoiselle, a gentleman has just
arrived, who asked me to deliver this note
to you and wishes to speak with you"
Nanine glanced at the superscription Of
the note, which she hurriedly unsealed as
she recognized the handwriting Of her ia
ther. The Marquis de Leigrealles wrote
as follows:
MY DEAR NANINE-This note will be trans
mitted to You by one Of our countrymen,
Count Frehaut, who has been charged by the
Prince de Condo with q confidential mission
in Lorraine. Receive the count with all hos.
pitality and conceal him until he shall find
means to arrive at his destination. He will
inform you of our affairs and give you intel
iigence Of your father, who embraces you ten
derby. FRANCOIS DE- ~LEiGREALLEs.
Luxembourg, Jan. 80.
With a beating heart Nanine fastened
to descend to the drawing room, where the
traveller had been received. She saw a
gentleman who appeared to have passed
his fftieth year muffled in a long brown
great coat and vaguely resembling the old
man Of her dream. Notwithstanding his
apparent age, his drawn features, his
creased eyelids, the count had a lively eye,
and his fine brown eyebrows contrasted
with the gray hair which he wore very
long and tied at the back Of his neck with
d black ribbon.
After ceremonious greetings and brief
tidings respecting the situation and health
Of the Marquis dc Leigrealles M. de Ere
haut admitted to his hostess that he was
broken down with fatigue, having made
the last part of his journey at night OH
foot, and asked permission to take the
rest Of which he was in great need. Ma.
nine gave orders that a room should be pre-
pared for him. He retired to it as soon as
1t was ready and did not appear again
during the day, but toward evening,
Mile. de Leigrealles having inquired after
him, he notified the young girl that he
Was completely restored and that he would
come down to supper.
He presented himself accordingly ut
about Z O'Clock freshly shaven and simply