Sagittarius.
"She is communing with the mighty dead. Sophronia, my love, Sophronia,
Capricornus has brought the gentleman according to your orders. Sophy!
Sophy!"
His final utterances, which were somewhat strident caused Madame
Sagittarius to come away from her communion with the mighty dead with
a loud ejaculation of the nature of a snort combined with a hissing
whistle, to kick up her indoor kid boots into the air, turn upon her
right elbow, and present a countenance marked with patches of red and
white, and a pair of goggling, and yet hazy, eyes to the intruders upon
her intellectual exertions.
"Mr. Vivian has come, Sophronia, according to your directions."
Madame uttered a second snort, brought her feet to the floor, arranged
her face in a dignified expression with one fair hand, breathed heavily,
and finally bowed to the Prophet with majestic reserve and remarked,
with the professional click,--
"I was immersed in thought and did not perceive your entrance. _Mens
invictus manetur_. Be seated, I beg."
Here certain very elaborate contortions and swellings of her interesting
countenance suggested that she was repressing a good-sized yawn, and she
was obliged to rearrange her features with both hands before she could
continue.
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