more frequently than was altogether agreeable to her husband, though he only ventured to rest his objections on his apprehension for her health. Some vague reports spoke of her having , early in life, encountered some deep grief, the impres- sion of which she thus endeavoured, by gaiety and company to dissipate.
"One day my father was invited to a party given in honour of the arrival of a nobleman long resident in the capital , and accepted the invitation only on condition that my mother would agree to dance very little. This prohibition led to a slight matrimonial scene, which terminated on her part in tears, on his in displeasure. The evening before, they received a visit from the nobleman himself, who being an old college friend of my father's, had called to talk over old stories, and enjoy an evening of confidential conversation.
"My father's gift of dreams happened to be mentioned; the Count related an anecdote which had taken place shortly before in Paris, and which he had learnt from Madame de Genlis; and a long argument ensued upon the subject of dreams and their fulfilment.
"The conversation was prolonged for some time, my mother appearing to take no particular share in it . But the following day she seemed abstracted , and at the party declined dancing , even though her husband himself pressed her to take a share in the amusement . Nay , on being asked , as she stood by my father's side , to dance , by the son of the nobleman above alluded to , and who was believed to have been an old acquaint- ance of hers , she burst at once into tears . My father even pressed her to mingle in the circle ; she continued to refuse ; at last she was over- heard to say " Well , fif you insist upon it on my account , be it so . "
" Never before had she danced with such spirit ; from that moment she was never off the floor . She returned home exhausted and unwell , and out of humour . She was now in the fifth month of her pregnancy , and it seemed as if she regretted the apparent levity which her conduct had betrayed .
" Her husband kindly enquired what was the cause of her singular behaviour . " You would not listen to me , " she replied , " and now you will laugh at my anxiety ; nay , perhaps you will tell me that people ought never to mention before women any thing out of the ordinary course , because they never hear more than half , and always give it a wrong meaning . The truth then is , your conversation some evenings ago made a deep impression on me . The peculiar state of my health had probably increased the anxiety with which for some time past I have been accustomed to think of the future . 1 fell asleep with the wish that something of my own future fate might be unfolded to me in my dreams . The past , with all the memorable events of my life , nay , even our late dispute as to danc- ing , were all confusedly mingled in my brain ; and , after many vague and unintelligible vi- sions , which I have now forgotten , they gradually arranged themselves into the following dream: -
" I thought I was standing in a dancing - room , and was accosted by a young man of prepossess- ing appearance , who asked me to dance . Me- thinks , although probably the idea only struck me afterwards , that he resembled the Count , the son of our late host . I accepted his invita- tion ; but having once begun to dance , he would on no account be prevailed on to cease . At last I grew uneasy . I fixed my eyes upon him with anxiety ; it seemed to me as if his eyes grew dimmer and dimmer , his cheeks paler and more wasted , his lips shrivelled and skinny , his teeth grinned out , white and ghastly , and at last he stared upon me with bony and eyeless sockets . His white and festal garments had fallen away . I felt as if encircled by a chain of iron . A ske- leton clasped me in its fleshless arms . Round and round he whirled me , though all the other guests had long before disappeared . I implored him to let me go ; for I felt I could not extricate myself from his embrace . The figure answered with a hollow tone , ' Give me first thy flowers . ' Involuntarily my glance rested on my bosom , in which I had placed a newly - blown rose with several buds , how many I know not . I made a movement to grasp it , but a strange irresistible feeling seemed to flash through my heart , and to draw back my hand . My life seemed at stake ; and yet I could not part with the lovely bloom- ing flower , that seemed as it were a portion of my own heart . One by one , though with a feel- ing of the deepest anguish , I plucked off the buds , and gave them to him with an imploring look , but in vain . He shook his bony head ; he would have them all . One little bud only , and the rose itself , remained behind ; I was about to give him this last bud , but it clung firmly to the stalk of the rose , and 1 pulled them both toge- ther from my bosom . I shuddered ; I could not part with them ; he grasped at the flowers , when suddenly 1 either threw them forcibly behind me , or an invisible hand wrenched them out of mine , I know not which ; I sank into his skele- ton arms , and awoke at the same instant to the consciousness of life. "
"So saying , she burst into tears . My father , though affected by the recital , laboured vainly to allay her anxiety . From that moment , and especially after my birth , her health declined ; occasionally only , during her subsequent preg- nancies , her strength would partially revive , though her dry cough never entirely left her . After giving birth to six daughters , she died in bringing the seventh into the world . I was then about twelve years old . To her last hour she was a lovely woman , with a brilliant complexion , and sparkling eyes . Shortly afterwards I was sent to school , only visiting my father's house and my sister's during the holydays . All of them , as they grew up , more or less resembled their mother ; till they attained their thirteenth or fourteenth year they were pale , thin , and more than usually tall ; from that moment they seemed suddenly to expand into loveliness ; though
