eyes and sighing
profoundly, and who would evidently have been but too happy to become
subjects on the spot themselves, for the edification of the handsome
officer and the other nice-looking young gentleman, who both seemed to
be eagerly looking forward to this important moment; besides some
elderly ladies who were watching, with bent heads and folded hands,
every breath drawn by their sleeping friend.

The coming on of the highest condition of clairvoyance was expected
momentarily. The mesmerizer, who did not take the trouble to place
himself _en rapport_ with his subject, as, he said, the _rapport_
between them was continually in existence, went near her, and began to
talk with her. She specified the times during the day when he had been
thinking of her with special vividness, and mentioned many other
circumstances which had occurred to him. At last she asked him to put
away the ring which he had in his pocket in a red morocco case, and
which he had never had with him before, because the gold of it, and
particularly the diamond, affected her painfully. With every mark of
the profoundest astonishment, the mesmerist stepped back, and took the
described ring, in its case, out of his pocket. He had only got it that
afternoon from the jeweller's, and the subject could have been
conscious of its existence in no other way than by the _rapport_
between them. This miracle had such an effect on the young ladies that
they both sunk down into easy-chairs, sighing deeply; and a few passes
by the mesmerizer speedily sent them both into a profound sleep.

"The fatal morocco case being got out of the way, the mesmerizer,
chiefly for my edification, put his patient through some 'feats' (if I
may so term them). She sneezed when he took snuff. She read a letter
which he placed upon her pericardium, and so forth. At last he tried
whether he could place me _en rapport_ with her through himself, and
succeeded admirably. She described me minutely from head to foot, and
said she had known beforehand that her mesmerizer was going to bring a
friend with him that day, and had long had a clear presentiment within
her of him, and of the manner of man he was. She appeared to be well
pleased with my proximity. Suddenly she ceased speaking, and raised
herself into a partly sitting posture. I fancied I observed a trembling
of her eyelids, and a slight twitching of her lips. The Mesmerizer told
us she was passing into the fifth stage--that of self-co