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Updated: June 12, 2025
Pargeter, desired to break the sad news through her, instead of in a more commonplace fashion. Vanderlyn knew enough of that curious underworld of Paris which preys on wealthy foreigners, to feel sure that this would not be the first time that Madame d'Elphis had been persuaded, in her own interest, to add the agreeable ingredient of certainty to one of her predictions.
And then, as Madame de Léra nodded her head, he added, more seriously, "La d'Elphis is one of two sisters, the daughters of a very respectable notary at Orange. Both threw their caps over the windmill, the one to become an unsuccessful actress, the other a successful soothsayer. La d'Elphis has one virtue she is a devoted sister, and lives with the other's smalah.
"Yes, it's a very curious, striking story," said Vanderlyn, slowly, "but forgive me for saying so if your niece's marriage had taken place on the morrow, would anything of all this have been remembered by either herself or her sister? The predictions of Madame d'Elphis were of a kind which it would be safe to make of any French girl, belonging to your world, on the eve of her marriage "
"Once you have revealed the truth to Mr. Pargeter, and he will believe implicitly all you say, then, Madame, you will not only have accomplished a good action, but a sum, bringing the fee for the séance which is just concluded up to ten thousand francs, will be placed at your disposal by me." Madame d'Elphis looked long and searchingly at the man standing before her.
Madame de Léra passed her hand with a nervous movement over her mouth "It was while they were actually driving home from this séance with La d'Elphis that the terrible accident, which you of course remember, occurred, an accident which resulted in the younger sister's death, while the elder miraculously escaped unhurt.
The centre of the soothsayer's cool palm rested itself on the ring his mother's wedding ring loosely encircling his little finger, and then Madame d'Elphis began speaking in a low, quiet, and yet hesitating, voice, a voice which suddenly recalled to her listener her Southern birth and breeding; it was strangely unlike the accents in which she had asked him to produce the promised fee.
The soothsayer bent down till her face was within a few inches of the polished surface into which she was gazing. "Now she is lying down," she whispered. "Her face is turned away. Is she asleep? No, she is dead! dead!" "Can you see her now?" asked Vanderlyn. "For God's sake tell me where she is! Can I hope to see her again once more?" Madame d'Elphis withdrew her hand from that of Vanderlyn.
"Look look at this, Grid! And don't say again I'm a fool for believing in La d'Elphis! I've had this since the day before yesterday; but I didn't bother to show it to you, for I didn't think anything of it I shouldn't now, but for La d'Elphis! But do look 'the body of a young, fair woman found in a train at Orange, 'the bridal flower, as La d'Elphis says eh, what?"
"Then, with some confusion, Jeanne summoned up courage to ask the one question she had come there to ask. The answer came at once, and was more than reassuring: 'As to the man concerning whom you are so anxious, said Madame d'Elphis, 'you may count on his fidelity.
An extraordinary sensation of awe of vague disquiet crept over Laurence Vanderlyn; he suddenly remembered the tragic story of Jeanne de Léra. Was it here that the sinister interview with the doomed girl had taken place? It was Madame d'Elphis who broke the long silence: "I must ask you, Monsieur," she said, stiffly, "to depose the fee on the table. It is the custom."
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