1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:08,759
A Quicksilver Cassandra by John Kendrick Bangs. It was altogether queer, and Jingleberry

2
00:00:08,839 --> 00:00:14,519
to this day does not entirely understand
it. He had examined his heart as

3
00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:21,079
carefully as he knew how, and
had arrived at the entirely reasonable conclusion that

4
00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:27,719
he was in love. He had
every symptom of that malady when Miss Marian

5
00:00:27,839 --> 00:00:32,399
Chapman was within range of his vision. There was no room for anyone else

6
00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:38,719
there. He suffered from that peculiar
optical condition which enabled him to see but

7
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:43,679
one thing at a time when she
was present, and she was that one

8
00:00:43,759 --> 00:00:48,520
thing, which is probably the reason
why in his mind's eye she was the

9
00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:54,399
only woman in the world, For
Marian was ever present before Jingleberry's mental optic

10
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,520
He had also examined as thoroughly as
he could in hypothesis the heart of this

11
00:01:02,119 --> 00:01:06,840
only woman, and he had,
or thought he had, which amounts to

12
00:01:06,879 --> 00:01:12,599
the same thing reason to believe that
she reciprocated his affection. She certainly seemed

13
00:01:12,599 --> 00:01:18,400
glad always when he was about.
She called him by his first name,

14
00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,439
and sometimes quarreled with him as she
quarreled with no one else. And if

15
00:01:23,439 --> 00:01:29,079
that wasn't a sign of love in
woman, then Jingleberry had studied the sex

16
00:01:29,159 --> 00:01:34,319
all his years, and they were
thirty two for nothing. In short,

17
00:01:34,599 --> 00:01:41,000
Marian behaved so like a sister to
him that Jingleberry, knowing how dreams and

18
00:01:41,079 --> 00:01:47,200
women go by contraries, was absolutely
sure that a sister was just the reverse

19
00:01:47,519 --> 00:01:52,480
from that relationship which in her heart
of hearts she was willing to assume toward

20
00:01:52,599 --> 00:01:57,519
him, And he was happy in
consequence. Believing this, it was not

21
00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,920
at all strange that he should make
up his mind to propose marriage to her,

22
00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:07,360
though like many other men, he
was somewhat chicken hearted in coming to

23
00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:13,840
the point. Four times had he
called upon Marian for the sole purpose of

24
00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,560
asking her to become his wife,
and four times had he led up to

25
00:02:17,599 --> 00:02:23,240
the point and then talked about something
else. What quality is it in a

26
00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:28,680
man that makes a coward of him
in the presence of one he considers his

27
00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:34,800
dearest friend is not within the province
of this narrative to determine, But Jingleberry

28
00:02:35,159 --> 00:02:40,400
had it in its most virulent form. He had often got so far along

29
00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:50,520
in his proposal as Marian, uh
will you will you? And there he

30
00:02:50,599 --> 00:02:57,840
had often stopped contenting himself with such
commonplace conclusions as go to the matinee with

31
00:02:57,879 --> 00:03:02,719
me tomorrow, or ask your father
for me if he thinks the stock market

32
00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:08,479
is likely to straighten soon, and
other amazing substitutes for the words he so

33
00:03:08,719 --> 00:03:15,919
ardently desired yet feared to utter.
But this afternoon, the one upon which

34
00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:23,039
the extraordinary events about to be narrated
took place, Jingleberry had called resolved not

35
00:03:23,159 --> 00:03:29,599
to be balked in his determination to
learn his fate. He had come to

36
00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:36,560
purpose and the purpose he would grew
at Coliam. His confidence in a successful

37
00:03:36,639 --> 00:03:40,719
termination to his suit had been re
enforced that very morning by the receipt of

38
00:03:40,719 --> 00:03:46,319
a note from miss Chapman asking him
to dine with her parents and herself that

39
00:03:46,439 --> 00:03:52,560
evening, and to accompany them after
dinner to the opera. Surely that meant

40
00:03:52,599 --> 00:03:58,960
a great deal, and Jingleberry conceived
that the time was ripe for a blushing

41
00:03:59,199 --> 00:04:04,639
yes to his long deferred question.
So he was there in the Chapman parlor

42
00:04:05,039 --> 00:04:10,199
waiting for the young lady to come
down and become the recipient of the interesting

43
00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:15,759
interrogatory, as it is called in
some sections of Massachusetts. I'll ask her

44
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:20,600
the first thing, said Jingleberry,
buttoning his Prince Albert as though to impart

45
00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:26,240
a possible needed stiffening to his backbone. She will say yes, and then

46
00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:30,480
I shall enjoy the dinner and the
opera so much more. Ahem. I

47
00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:36,279
wonder if I am pale? I
feel sort of. Uh, there's a

48
00:04:36,319 --> 00:04:43,199
mirror that will tell. Jingleberry walked
to the mirror, an oval, gilt

49
00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,639
framed mirror such as was very much
in vogue fifty years ago, for which

50
00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:53,879
reason alone no doubt, it was
now admitted to the gold and white parlor

51
00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:59,759
of the House of Chapman. Blessed
things these mirrors, said Jingleberry, gazing

52
00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:04,160
at the the reflection of his face
so reassuring. I'm not at all pale.

53
00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:11,360
Quite the contrary, I'm red as
sunset. Good Omen that the sun

54
00:05:11,519 --> 00:05:16,120
is setting on my bachelor days,
and my scarf is crooked. Ah.

55
00:05:16,959 --> 00:05:21,560
The ejaculation was one of pleasure for
Pictured in the mirror, Jingleberry saw the

56
00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:27,279
form of Marian entering the room through
the portieres. How do you do,

57
00:05:27,439 --> 00:05:31,319
Marion? Been admiring myself in the
glass, he said, turning to greet

58
00:05:31,319 --> 00:05:36,839
her. I ah. Then he
stopped as well, he might, for

59
00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:43,920
he addressed no one. Miss Chapman
was nowhere to be seen. Dear me,

60
00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:49,959
said Jingleberry, rubbing his eyes in
astonishment. How extraordinary I surely thought

61
00:05:49,959 --> 00:05:55,360
I saw her. Why I did
see her? That is, I saw

62
00:05:55,399 --> 00:05:59,920
her reflection in the glass. Ha
ha ha. She caught me gazing at

63
00:06:00,079 --> 00:06:04,319
myself there and has hidden. He
walked to the door and drew the porteriera

64
00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:11,240
aside and looked into the hall.
There was no one there. He searched

65
00:06:11,319 --> 00:06:15,959
every corner of the hall and the
dining room at its end, and then

66
00:06:15,079 --> 00:06:19,480
returned to the parlor, but it
was still empty. And then occurred the

67
00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:26,360
most strangely unaccountable event in his life. As he looked about the parlor,

68
00:06:26,879 --> 00:06:30,720
he for the second time found himself
before the mirror. But the reflection therein,

69
00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:36,079
though it was of himself, was
of himself with his back turned to

70
00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:43,839
his real self, as he stood
gazing amazedly into the glass. And besides

71
00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:48,040
this, although Jingleberry was alone in
the real parlor, the reflection of the

72
00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:54,680
dainty room showed that there he was
not so for seated in her accustomed graceful

73
00:06:54,720 --> 00:07:00,720
attitude in the reflected armchair was nothing
less than the counterfeit presentation of Marian Chatman

74
00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:06,360
herself. It was a wonder Jingleberry's
eyes did not fall out of his head,

75
00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:13,480
he stared. So what a situation
it was to be sure to stand

76
00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,360
there and see in the glass a
scene which, as far as he could

77
00:07:16,399 --> 00:07:23,000
observe, had no basis in reality. And how interesting it was for Jingleberry

78
00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:28,360
to watch himself going through the form
of chatting pleasantly there in the mirror's depths

79
00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,920
with the woman he loved. It
almost made him jealous, though the reflected

80
00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:40,639
Jingleberry was so entirely independent of the
real Jingleberry, the jealousy soon gave way

81
00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:46,360
to consternation, For to the wandering
suitor, the independent reflection was beginning to

82
00:07:46,439 --> 00:07:51,480
do that for which he himself had
come. In other words, there was

83
00:07:51,519 --> 00:07:57,839
a proposal going on there in the
glass, and Jingleberry enjoyed the novel sensation

84
00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:03,319
of seeing how he himself would look
when passing through a similar ordeal. Altogether,

85
00:08:03,439 --> 00:08:09,000
however, it was not as pleasing
as most novelties are, for there

86
00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,319
were distinct signs in the face of
the mirrored Marian that the mirrored Jingleberry's words

87
00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:18,439
were distasteful to her. And that
the proposition he was making was not one

88
00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:24,279
she would entertain under any circumstances.
She kept shaking her head, and the

89
00:08:24,319 --> 00:08:28,639
more she shook it, the more
the glazed Jingleberry seemed to implore her to

90
00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:35,919
be his. Finally, Jingleberry saw
his quicksilver counterpart fall upon his knees before

91
00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:39,679
Marian of the glass and hold out
his arms and hands toward her in an

92
00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:46,159
attitude of prayerful despair. Whereupon the
girl sprang to her feet, stamped her

93
00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,440
left foot furiously upon the floor,
and pointed the unwelcome lover to the door.

94
00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:58,159
Jingleberry was fairly staggered. What could
be the meaning of so extraordinary a

95
00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:03,080
freak of nature? Surely it must
be prophetic. Fate was kind enough to

96
00:09:03,159 --> 00:09:09,000
warn him in advance, no doubt
otherwise it was a trick. And why

97
00:09:09,039 --> 00:09:16,120
should she stoop to play so paltry
a trick as that upon him. Surely

98
00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:22,679
Fate would not be so petty.
Now it was a warning. The mirror

99
00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:28,120
had been so affected by some supernatural
agency that it divined and reflected that which

100
00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:33,840
was to be, Instead of confining
itself to what Jingleberry called simul tineity,

101
00:09:35,919 --> 00:09:41,240
it led instead of following or acting
coincidentally with the reality. And it was

102
00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:45,120
the part of wisdom, he thought, for him to yield to its suggestion

103
00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:50,080
and retreat. And as he thought
this, he heard the sweet, soft

104
00:09:50,159 --> 00:09:54,039
voice behind him. I hope you
haven't got tired of waiting, Tom,

105
00:09:54,519 --> 00:10:01,080
it said, and turning Jingleberry saw
the unquestionable real Marians standing in the doorway.

106
00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:09,399
No, he answered shortly. I
have had a pleasant of very entertaining

107
00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:15,639
ten minutes, but I must hurry
along. Marian, he added, I

108
00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:20,679
only came to tell you that I
have a frightful headache and I can't very

109
00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:24,879
well manage to come to dinner or
go to the opera with you tonight.

110
00:10:26,519 --> 00:10:33,320
Why, Tom, pouted Marian.
I am awfully disappointed. I had counted

111
00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,039
on you, and now my whole
evening will be spoiled. Don't you think

112
00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:43,559
you could rest a little while and
then come. Well, I want to,

113
00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:48,879
Marian, said Jingleberry. But to
tell the truth, I really am

114
00:10:48,919 --> 00:10:54,039
afraid I am going to be ill. I've had such a strange experience this

115
00:10:54,120 --> 00:11:01,320
afternoon. I tell me what it
was, suggest tested Marian sympathetically, and

116
00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,879
Jingleberry did tell her what it was. He told her the whole story,

117
00:11:05,919 --> 00:11:11,639
from beginning to end, what he
had come for, how he happened to

118
00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:16,440
look in the mirror, and what
he saw there. And Marian listened attentively

119
00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:22,600
to every word he said. She
laughed once or twice, and when he

120
00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:26,279
had done, she reminded him that
mirrors have the habit of reversing everything.

121
00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:35,159
And somehow or other, Jingleberry's headache
went away, and and well everything went

122
00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:43,799
the end of a quicksilver Cassandra by
John Kendrick Bangs