s turned
back upon the sleeve, and a large standing collar of spotless purity,
alone gave light to the dark picture of her form. Upon her head she
wore a sort of skull-cap of black velvet, descending with a sharp peak
upon her forehead--the cowl-like air of which might almost have given
her the appearance of the superior of some monastic community, had not
the cold imperious physiognomy of the abbess been modified by a
frequent bland smile, which showed her power of assuming the arts of
seduction at will, and her practice of courts. She leaned her arms
upon the table, whilst she studied with evident curiosity every
movement of her companion, who was engaged in poring, by the light of
a lamp, over a variety of strange manuscripts, all covered with the
figures, cyphers, and hieroglyphics used in cabalistic calculations.

This other personage was a man, whose appearance of age seemed to be
more studied than real. His grey hair, contrary to the custom of the
times, fell in thick locks upon his shoulders; and a white beard swept
his dark velvet robe, which was fashioned to bestow upon him an air of
priestly dignity; but his face was florid, and full of vigour, and the
few wrinkles were furrowed only upon his brow.

Around the room, the dark old panels of which, unrelieved by pictures
and hangings, rendered it gloomy and severe, were scattered books and
instruments, such as were used by the astronomers, or rather
astrologers, of the day, and a variety of other objects of a bizarre
and mysterious form, which, as the light of the lamp flickered feebly
upon them, might have been taken, in their dark nooks, for the
crouching forms of familiar imps, attendant upon a sorcerer. After
some study of his manuscripts, the old man shook his head, and,
rising, walked to the window, which stood open upon a heavy stone
balcony. The night was bright and calm; not a cloud, not a vapour
dimmed the glitter of the countless myriads of stars in the firmament;
and the moon poured down a flood of light upon the roofs of the
surrounding houses, and on the dark towers of the not far distant
Louvre, which seemed quietly sleeping in the mild night-air, whilst
within were fermenting passions, many and dark, like the troubled
dreams of the apparently tranquil sleeper. As the old man stepped upon
the balcony, he turned up his head with an assumed air of inspiration
to the sky, and considered the stars long and in silence. The female
had also risen and f