DARWING-ROOM FORTUNE TELLING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7550, 25 September 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

DARWING-ROOM FORTUNE TELLING.

EXTBAOBDINARY CAEKBE 01' A OIKI/ IN I/iDY BLESS INGTON's SALON. Forty years ago, in 18<1G, at tbo ultra refined literary receptions of Lady Blessington, a young French girl, introduced by a friend of th.9 hostess, laid tbe foundation of her future reputation ia fortune- tolling. It was Mile, le Normand, the modern Pythoness. Lady Blessington, who had been informed by her Parisian correspondent of the miraculous gifts of her protegii, determined .to try her before she could, have become acquainted with any of the porsons present, or even have ascertained their names. Three men were successively broaj>ht to her. To tho first, after examining his haud, she said : " Your life will bo a happy and succosfa! one ; you will die old, without pain ; but on one occasion you and one of. your children will miraculously escape destruction." To a second : "It (teems almost incredible, bat I would say to you, in the words of Shakespeare, 'Ihou wilt be king hereafter!,' Yes, sir; you will reign." After gazing into tho palm of tho (bird tho young girl shivered. prow pale and dropped his hand. Quickly rallying, she informed him . that she lia j seen nothing worth ropenting, and left bin side. But tbo same night Leforo leaving, she implored Lady J3lessinglon to distrust her guest, naying : "Ho will commit- murder end be gr-ntenced to death." These three men were Charles Dick ins, who iv 180-fc, returning from abroad, was in tho horrible railway accident of Btaplelmrat, and escaped unhurt, The rf.B. of "Our Mutual Friend," hie offspring, enclosed in a small hand, bag, yeas found upon tho track amid the debris and returned to the author. The second man'was Prince Louis Napoleon. No commentary is needed. Tho third w.ik Charles Wainwrighf, then a most promising painter, who afterwards murdered hia wifo with tho most revolting cruelty. Ho was condemned to death, Init tho Q'leen commuted his sentence to transportation for life. Desbarollus, the groat French wizard, lias chosen this opportune moment to leave the world ; sooner ho might have passed away without eren tho slightest

notice. He was not rich, having lost all hia fortune in the failure of a bank, and, as he said, "He had not dared to ask permission to examine the hand of the manager." He used to receive his clients in a room of dazzling brightness, with ciirtainless windows, the light coming in full from the sky above tho roofs. Dcsbarolles laughingly explained : " My attic is the ante-room of the constellations." In 1865 a very young. Creole, Mile. Autard de Bargard, came to consult him. "Whom shall I marry ?" "A man whose position will universally be envie-J." "A. millionaire ?— a prince P" " Better still." Four years later the youn* girl becamo Mmc, Ferdinand de Lossops.— London letter to the iV.I r . Sun.