Jane Eyre

"Surely, colonel," cried Lady Ingram, "you would not encourage such
a low impostor?  Dismiss her, by all means, at once!"

"But I cannot persuade her to go away, my lady," said the footman;
"nor can any of the servants:  Mrs. Fairfax is with her just now,
entreating her to be gone; but she has taken a chair in the chimney-
comer, and says nothing shall stir her from it till she gets leave
to come in here."

"What does she want?"  asked Mrs. Eshton.

"'To tell the gentry their fortunes,' she says, ma'am; and she
swears she must and will do it."

"What is she like?"  inquired the Misses Eshton, in a breath.

"A shockingly ugly old creature, miss; almost as black as a crock."

"Why, she's a real sorceress!"  cried Frederick Lynn.  "Let us have
her in, of course."

"To be sure," rejoined his brother; "it would be a thousand pities
to throw away such a chance of fun."

"My dear boys, what are you thinking about?"  exclaimed Mrs. Lynn.

"I cannot possibly countenance any such inconsistent proceeding,"
chimed in the Dowager Ingram.

"Indeed, mama, but you can -- and will," pronounced the haughty
voice of Blanche, as she turned round on the piano-stool; where
till now she had sat silent, apparently examining sundry sheets of
music.  "I have a curiosity to hear my fortune told:  therefore,
Sam, order the beldame forward."

"My darling Blanche!  recollect -- "

"I do -- I recollect all you can suggest; and I must have my will
-- quick, Sam!"

"Yes -- yes -- yes!"  cried all the juveniles, both ladies and
gentlemen.  "Let her come -- it will be excellent sport!"

The footman still lingered.  "She looks such a rough one," said
he.

"Go!"  ejaculated Miss Ingram, and the man went.

Excitement instantly seized the whole party:  a running fire of
raillery and jests was proceeding when Sam returned.

"She won't come now," said he.  "She says it's not her mission to
appear before the 'vulgar herd' (them's her words).  I must show
her into a room by herself, and then those who wish to consult her
must go to her one by one."

"You see now, my queenly Blanche," began Lady Ingram, "she
encroaches.  Be advised, my angel girl -- and -- "

"Show her into the library, of course," cut in the "angel girl."  "It
is not my mission to listen to her before the vulgar herd either:
I mean to have her all to myself.  Is there a fire in the library?"

"Yes, ma'am -- but she looks such a tinkler."

"Cease that chatter, blockhead!  and do my bidding."

Again Sam vanished; and mystery, animation, expectation rose to
full flow once more.

"She's ready now," said the footman, as he reappeared.  "She wishes
to know who will be her first visitor."

"I think I had better just look in upon her before any of the ladies
go," said Colonel Dent.

"Tell her, Sam, a gentleman is coming."

Sam went and returned.

"She says, sir, that she'll have no gentlemen; they need not
trouble themselves to come near her; nor," he added, with difficulty
suppressing a titter, "any ladies either, except the young, and
single."

"By Jove, she has taste!"  exclaimed Henry Lynn.

Miss Ingram rose solemnly:  "I go first," she said, in a tone which
might have befitted the leader of a forlorn hope, mounting a breach
in the van of his men.

"Oh, my best!  oh, my dearest!  pause -- reflect!"  was her mama's
cry; but she swept past her in stately silence, passed through
the door which Colonel Dent held open, and we heard her enter the
library.

A comparative silence ensued.  Lady Ingram thought it "le cas" to
wring her hands:  which she did accordingly.  Miss Mary declared
she felt, for her part, she never dared venture.  Amy and Louisa