o such visitations as these while we stayed at Williamsburg. And so to
Williamsburg we will return immediately. Tell your maid to pack up this
afternoon, and we will set out to-morrow. No objections, Alicia! for I
tell you we must go.'

"She saw that his resolution was fixed, and she made no opposition to
it. She rang for her maid, and gave the necessary directions. And then,
feeling very unwell, she sent down an excuse to her company, and retired
to bed.

"At twelve o'clock that night, while the young people were enjoying
themselves in some round game in the drawing-room, and Mr. Dubarry was
doing all that he could to promote their entertainment, the whole party
was startled by a terrific cry coming from Mrs. Dubarry's chamber. All
paused for a breathless instant, and then rushed tumultuously up the
stairs. At the door of the bed-chamber, Mr. Dubarry turned around and
waved them all back. Then he entered the chamber alone. All seemed quiet
there then. The moonlight came flickering through the vine leaves on the
outside of the open window, and fell fitfully upon the face and form of
Alicia Dubarry, who was sitting up in bed, staring straight before her.

"Mr. Dubarry locked the door before he approached the bed.

"'Alicia,' he said, 'my dear Alicia, what is the matter?'

"'It is doom! It is doom!' she answered in an awful voice, without
removing her eyes from some object between the foot of the bed and the
moonlit window.

"'Compose yourself, dear wife, and tell me what has happened.'

"'Look! Look! for yourself!' she cried, her finger extended, and
following the direction of her eyes.

"'My sweet Alicia, there is nothing there but the tremulous shadow of
the vine leaves cast by the moonlight,' said Mr. Dubarry, persuasively,
as he went and drew the curtain before the window, and then struck a
match and lighted a lamp.

"But her eyes were never removed from the spot where she had gazed.

"'It is there yet!' she cried.

"'What is there, good Alicia? there is nothing there, indeed!'

"'Yes, the dead woman and dead child! Do you not see them?'

"'See! no! you are in one of your nervous attacks; but to-morrow we will
leave this place, and you will have no more of them.'

"'Hush! No! I shall never leave this place again.'

"'You shall start by sunrise to-morrow.'

"'Hush! listen! I will tell you what happened. I was sleeping well, very
well, when suddenly I was awakened with a tremendous shock. I started up