The Wildfire Club - The Emma Hardinge Britten Archive

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168 TJU: DU'ROVVISATOBE,
with a shape, a voice, a something whispering round them
more than mortal ken could see or knOW. - they met this
night, assured, by their strange far-seeing eyes, no dange!
'threatened, no human foot was near.-
And now they spoke of subjects of much deeper interest,
at least to them - their future. Gabrielle. whilst professing,
ay, and feeling also, the most fervid affection for her
friend, was so indoctrinated into the world's cODventionalisms,
that she deemed she should be drawing her lover to
ruin if she allured him to any fate short of the wealth and
fame which she at present enjoyed. She knew the desperate
lind fierce resolve of Ravensworth to call her his ;
she knew his power by rank and wealth to bring revenge
the direst on the heads of all who should thwart him; and
whilst, with an eye of habitual devotion for the world's
gauds! she gazed upon the brilliant vista which he opened
to her as Countess of Ravensworth, she regarded with
equal terror the possibility of his vengeance thrul1ting lWrself
and the fascinating object of her life's first love out of
the pale of romance into poverty and disgrace. And yet
she loved, adored, this strange, fantastic, gentle singer.
For the first time she knew how sweet it was to love; .and
life without this love, and him on woom she poured it
* in a tale written some months since for the Spiritual Age, and entitled,
a8 far as I ean remember, .. Second Sight," I gave a sUght sketch of the
prevailing popular oploiou, or, as the phrase goes ... superstition," concern­
Ing that faculty, more recognized in Scotland, Wales, and Boltcmia, than
any wh.".e els9. The condition called cllrirvoyanee, Or the capacity to per­
""Ive, with the spiritual eye, scenes, distant objects, and persons, which
could by no possibility come within the range of the natural vision, ia
commonly defined as B. perception of past or passing objects. I consider
that the future Is eqnally susceptible of coming within the range of spiritual
vision. '.rhls faculty I. common enough In England and many other
places, where, however, It Is orthodox to caU it .. strange," but heterodml:
to ealiit " spirltunl."