A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 175: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

172 A QUEER RACE. «‘ Wait there until I return;” and with that she opened the door and went in. ‘< Whose house is it?’’ I asked Marian. «Sybil’s.” «‘Very old, isn’t she?” ‘‘More than a hundred; she is the only person in the iskand who remembers Denzil Fane. She is very wise, and they say——” hesitating. “Yes; what do they say?” «That she can read your thoughts by looking into - your eyes, and tell your fortune by examining your hand.” | ‘© T suppose people are afraid of her?”’ ** Awfully. They say she can kill with a glance, or, at least, work anybody who offends her grievous harm. But the queen fears her not, and Sybil likes her. No- body else would dare go into Sybil’s house unbidden. I would not for all the world.” We went on talking, or, rather, I let the girl go on chattering until the door opened a second time, and Mab, standing at the threshold, beckoned me to enter. I obeyed, and, after passing through a sort of vestibule, found myself in a little low-ceiled room, dimly lighted by a swinging-lamp. Under the iamp sat a tall old woman, with the most peculiar countenance I ever saw— and since I left Liverpool I had seen some very queer ones. A mass of snow-white hair covered her shoulders, and fell down to her waist. Her powerful face was like a corrugated bronze mask; but her ears, her neck, and her eyelids were as white as her hair, and her little eyes slowed in their deep, sunken sockets like live coals. Though rather startled, I did not feel much alarmed, and met the gaze of those burning eyes without flinching. “‘ Let me see your hand,” she said, after staring at me a full minute. I showed her my hand, which she examined with great care, both back and front. ‘* He is the man!”’—to Mab. Then turning to me: , “You are an Englishman. ‘The last Englishman I saw was Denzil Fane. He founded thiscommonwealth. You are its destined savior. You have done much already, (E(O) mm C JOO KS (E(0) m yet your task has only just begun. But fortune and ~ =)