d
with fear, shot through the breast of Angelique. She sprang up,
exclaiming to herself, "She is come, and all the demons that wait on
murder come with her into my chamber!" A knock followed on the door.
Angelique, very agitated in spite of her fierce efforts to appear calm,
bade them come in.

Fanchon opened the door, and, with a courtesy to her mistress, ushered
in La Corriveau, who walked straight into the room and stood face to
face with Angelique.

The eyes of the two women instantly met in a searching glance that took
in the whole look, bearing, dress, and almost the very thoughts of each
other. In that one glance each knew and understood the other, and could
trust each other in evil, if not in good.

And there was trust between them. The evil spirits that possessed each
of their hearts shook hands together, and a silent league was sworn to
in their souls before a word was spoken.

And yet how unlike to human eye were these two women!--how like in God's
eye, that sees the heart and reads the Spirit, of what manner it is!
Angelique, radiant in the bloom of youth and beauty, her golden hair
floating about her like a cloud of glory round a daughter of the sun,
with her womanly perfections which made the world seem brighter for
such a revelation of completeness in every external charm; La Corriveau,
stern, dark, angular, her fine-cut features crossed with thin lines of
cruelty and cunning, no mercy in her eyes, still less on her lips, and
none at all in her heart, cold to every humane feeling, and warming only
to wickedness and avarice: still these women recognized each other as
kindred spirits, crafty and void of conscience in the accomplishment of
their ends.

Had fate exchanged the outward circumstances of their lives, each might
have been the other easily and naturally. The proud beauty had nothing
in her heart better than La Corriveau, and the witch of St. Valier, if
born in luxury and endowed with beauty and wealth, would have rivalled
Angelique in seductiveness, and hardly fallen below her in ambition and
power.

La Corriveau saluted Angelique, who made a sign to Fanchon to retire.
The girl obeyed somewhat reluctantly. She had hoped to be present at
the interview between her aunt and her mistress, for her curiosity was
greatly excited, and she now suspected there was more in this visit than
she had been told.

Angelique invited La Corriveau to remove her cloak and broad hat.
Seating her in her own lux