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Authors: The Dazzled Heart
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or five feet in diameter and about a foot deep. Each of them was enclosed in another tub and had a lid made in two pieces.
Intrigued in spite of herself, Jennifer moved closer. At the bottom of each tub were bottles laid in rows, their necks turned in toward the center. Other bottles lay with their necks turned outward. Kitchen maids were busy carrying pails of water to fill the tubs.
Monsieur Dupin emerged from the little sitting room. Though everything around him was utter confusion, the Frenchman was entirely at ease, immaculately dressed all in black. “Ah, Mademoiselle Whitcomb. All is in the upset now, but by this evening when the guests have arrived, all will be prepared. Yes, all will be in working order and you shall see science perform its cures. Let me explain to you. Here in the bottles is the magnetized water. This tub is now at high pressure and will be filled up with water.”
Jennifer kept her skepticism to herself. “I hope that you have everything you need.”
“Indeed, Madame has been most kind. Most kind. As soon as the tubs are filled I will add the iron filings. The rods that you see will be grasped by the sufferers. They will carry the fluid to them.”
“What does the fluid look like?” inquired Jennifer.
“The fluid,” said Dupin with a little smile that revealed a row of gleaming teeth. “The fluid is superfine. It cannot be seen. It can only be felt.”
A shiver coursed over Jennifer’s body. It was ridiculous, she told herself, to think of the mesmerist as some kind of predator, his sharp teeth ready to tear the flesh from his victims. And even if Monsieur were a charlatan, there was nothing she could do about it. Mrs. Parthemer had quite ob-viously become enamored of the dark young Frenchman and to try to interfere with his mysterious treatment, whatever it was, would only gain Jennifer her dismissal and leave the victims still at his mercy.
“This is all very interesting,” she said in a tone that conveyed politeness and nothing more. “But the children will soon be ready for lessons and I must get my breakfast first.”
Monsieur Dupin bowed. “Mademoiselle must answer the call of duty. My day has already been brightened by the sight of her so lovely face. And this evening I shall show her what I can accomplish.”
Jennifer smiled and turned away. As she left the room, she searched in her memory for any scraps of information she could dredge up about mesmerism. It seemed to her that long ago in that golden time before she had been a governess that someone had talked of seeing Mesmer.
Yes, she thought as she made her way to the breakfast room. She remembered now. It was a friend of Mama’s who had come calling one day. In their reminiscences they had touched on time spent in Paris in their youth. There was something, Jennifer remembered, about the great Mesmer wearing a robe of lilac taffeta and staring deeply into the sufferer’s eyes. Mama’s friend had been young then and not afflicted with any ailments, but her Mama had had rheumatism. And the Master had cured it.
As she settled to her breakfast Jennifer shook her head. Perhaps the great Mesmer had been a real healer. That such men existed she did not for a moment doubt. But that Dupin was such a man - devoted to healing - she could not believe. If Dupin were devoted to anything, it was gold guineas. The only person about whom Dupin cared at all was - Dupin. Of that Jennifer was quite sure.
Later that day she was entirely of the same opinion as she watched him greet the arriving houseguests. Mrs. Parthemer, resplendent in a purple gown that made Jennifer want to wince, seemed quite spry as she greeted her guests and sent them off to their various rooms.
She insisted that Jennifer remain with her and so the excursion she had planned for the early afternoon had to be post-poned. The children’s faces had crumpled at the bad news and Jennifer felt like crying herself. It was not, of course, because there
Intrigued in spite of herself, Jennifer moved closer. At the bottom of each tub were bottles laid in rows, their necks turned in toward the center. Other bottles lay with their necks turned outward. Kitchen maids were busy carrying pails of water to fill the tubs.
Monsieur Dupin emerged from the little sitting room. Though everything around him was utter confusion, the Frenchman was entirely at ease, immaculately dressed all in black. “Ah, Mademoiselle Whitcomb. All is in the upset now, but by this evening when the guests have arrived, all will be prepared. Yes, all will be in working order and you shall see science perform its cures. Let me explain to you. Here in the bottles is the magnetized water. This tub is now at high pressure and will be filled up with water.”
Jennifer kept her skepticism to herself. “I hope that you have everything you need.”
“Indeed, Madame has been most kind. Most kind. As soon as the tubs are filled I will add the iron filings. The rods that you see will be grasped by the sufferers. They will carry the fluid to them.”
“What does the fluid look like?” inquired Jennifer.
“The fluid,” said Dupin with a little smile that revealed a row of gleaming teeth. “The fluid is superfine. It cannot be seen. It can only be felt.”
A shiver coursed over Jennifer’s body. It was ridiculous, she told herself, to think of the mesmerist as some kind of predator, his sharp teeth ready to tear the flesh from his victims. And even if Monsieur were a charlatan, there was nothing she could do about it. Mrs. Parthemer had quite ob-viously become enamored of the dark young Frenchman and to try to interfere with his mysterious treatment, whatever it was, would only gain Jennifer her dismissal and leave the victims still at his mercy.
“This is all very interesting,” she said in a tone that conveyed politeness and nothing more. “But the children will soon be ready for lessons and I must get my breakfast first.”
Monsieur Dupin bowed. “Mademoiselle must answer the call of duty. My day has already been brightened by the sight of her so lovely face. And this evening I shall show her what I can accomplish.”
Jennifer smiled and turned away. As she left the room, she searched in her memory for any scraps of information she could dredge up about mesmerism. It seemed to her that long ago in that golden time before she had been a governess that someone had talked of seeing Mesmer.
Yes, she thought as she made her way to the breakfast room. She remembered now. It was a friend of Mama’s who had come calling one day. In their reminiscences they had touched on time spent in Paris in their youth. There was something, Jennifer remembered, about the great Mesmer wearing a robe of lilac taffeta and staring deeply into the sufferer’s eyes. Mama’s friend had been young then and not afflicted with any ailments, but her Mama had had rheumatism. And the Master had cured it.
As she settled to her breakfast Jennifer shook her head. Perhaps the great Mesmer had been a real healer. That such men existed she did not for a moment doubt. But that Dupin was such a man - devoted to healing - she could not believe. If Dupin were devoted to anything, it was gold guineas. The only person about whom Dupin cared at all was - Dupin. Of that Jennifer was quite sure.
Later that day she was entirely of the same opinion as she watched him greet the arriving houseguests. Mrs. Parthemer, resplendent in a purple gown that made Jennifer want to wince, seemed quite spry as she greeted her guests and sent them off to their various rooms.
She insisted that Jennifer remain with her and so the excursion she had planned for the early afternoon had to be post-poned. The children’s faces had crumpled at the bad news and Jennifer felt like crying herself. It was not, of course, because there
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