THE OMENS. 167 tell me the meaning of that which is called the super- naturel may there mot be appearances which you are obliged to call superaataral, which, if I may be allowed the expression, only pervert aature, and are unwillingly made use of by her, like authoritative seatentes of a foreign power?"
- € Undoubtedly there are,” replied Falk ; ‘‘ but,
in the meam time, tell us of some such sppearances, ae We can then argue upews them with more certahty.”
- ¢ Thus we shell at length fall upon stories of
ghosts,” returned Gertrade, smiling.
“1 amglad: of it, with all my heart,” said Her- uvann, ‘‘ every bedy likes to heag then»—only observe in what a proper attitude for listening Anselm is already seating himself,”’
Bat Gertrude declined the narration of the story to whieh she had referred; she declared, that, fond as she was of listening to ghost stories, she yet felt a kind of dread at relating them. Her affianced lover smiled, and said, that as he could guess the occur- reace alluded to, he would undertake its narration for her. To this she consented, and he thus pro- ceeded :-—
“ A very. near relation of my Gertrude, but a little visionary like herself—we: will, if you please, call her Caroline—had formed with her young neighbour, Angelica, the closest and most affec- tionate intimacy. The father of the latter had, in
